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CREATIVE INSIGHTS INC. |
Additional Professional Services
Retail Tune Up Consulting
We help retailers evaluate their businesses and recharge their brands. We consult with retailers on planning, strategy, buying, merchandising, displays, marketing, branding, staff development, management training and coaching.
Our advice is always aimed squarely at helping retailers deliver a consistent and compelling customer experience and on-brand customer service. We look at all aspects of the business from the customers’ perspective and then provide a plan of action that will help improve the bottom line in both the short and long term.
Whether wanting to re-evaluate their entire concept or to just re-energize their management or sales team, retailers will benefit from our practical approach that is based on our understanding of all facets of the retail business.
The most successful stores today have found a well-defined niche and can therefore focus their attention on developing strategies to attract customers and keep them coming back.
But as conditions change over time, many retailers end up with an outdated marketing and operational strategy that no longer creates a competitive advantage or adds value to the brand. As a result, sales lag, customer counts dwindle, staff motivation fades and profitability declines.
We can help you develop an actionable Marketing and Operational Strategy, and support you during the implementation
Our Retail Tune Up consulting service helps retailers analyse critically their overall purchasing, pricing, merchandising, advertising and customer service strategies. In our experience, re-defining or clarifying the brand promise, and bringing the reality of the business closer to that promise, makes a noticeable difference on profitability.
The goal of a Retail Tune Up goal is to improve the average transaction, total sales, bottom-line profitability and customer feedback. We evaluate the entire “concept” and brand from the customer’s perspective – the perspective that affects the bottom line most profoundly. This includes evaluating the outside of the store, the overall environment inside, the merchandise, display units and props, music, and staff behaviour and attire.
Depending on the scope, we will also look at inside and outside influencers, inside and outside weaknesses and strengths, and potential threats and opportunities. Our analysis can encompass the entire company or brand, or a specific area of concern.
We generally look for answers in all of these areas:
• The five ratios that measure the basic health of a business
• The positioning of the store against the trend to EST retailing
• The crucial first impression created by the total concept
• The customers’ expectations and how the business meets them
• The total shopping experience from the customers’ point of view
• The key communicators: media messages, physical setting
• The appeal to women vs. men and the potential for show
• The people side of the business, how people function as a team
• The balance between selling and the intangible spirit of service
• The balance between specialized selection and personal service
• The effective use of merchandising and prime selling locations
• The investment in inventory and if it is there at the right time
• The effective use of markdowns to help keep all items “current”
• The ability to grow by following one of four strategies
• The potential for creating or building on a “secret weapon”
In most cases, the process takes about three months from start to finish. If needed, we will engage partners from our network of experts to help with (for example) branding, design, PR or technology to provide in-depth analysis and recommendations.
The specific deliverables of a Retail Tune Up are:
• A report that summarizes our findings and outlines our recommendations and the specific actions through which the business can increase its productivity and profitability,
• A one-day meeting with management and selected staff members to present the report and discuss the first steps of implementing the recommendations, and
• A follow-up visit six to eight weeks later to check on progress, identify successes and challenges, and if necessary, develop a list of short-term and mid-term adjustments to ensure that the new marketing and operational strategy is translated into real-life success.
One client recently told us that they have more than doubled their average transaction in less than a year after their Retail Tune Up. “Some of the changes you suggested were easy and fast, and some we are still working on a full year later,” they said. “But it’s all good.”
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As a keynote speaker, trainer and retail consultant, Ted Topping delivers practical lessons and actionable advice. He is an enthusiastic proponent of the intangible “magic” that affects the critical customer experience and creates enduring brands. |
Customized Retail Study Tours
Our Retail Study Tours expose retailers and non-retailers from around the world to the retail environment in the Pacific Northwest (both the U.S. and Canada). The birthplace and international entry point of dozens of retail and service concepts, this region offers a unique perspective on the industry and many wonderful examples to learn from.
The two key cities in this region, Vancouver and Seattle,
offer a huge diversity of stores – from mass merchants to boutiques,
from discounters to luxury, from century-old concepts to the latest
brands.
Fast-growing urban centers and vibrant tourism characterize Vancouver which, along with Whistler, will host the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Depending on the wishes of our guests, we can start a tour in Vancouver and then add Whistler, Victoria, Tofino, Edmonton, Calgary, Bellingham or Seattle to the itinerary.
Focusing on what makes a shopping experience “great,” we custom-create our tours to highlight the best retail concepts, store designs, brands, merchandising, presentation, selection and service. Participants are exposed both to what works and the reasons why, and also learn how to evaluate a concept in a methodical way.
We believe that to succeed and lead in a category, a retailer needs to look for ideas outside of that category. For this reason, we often share concepts and ideas that would not be “top of mind” for others. Shopping centers, superstores, neighbourhoods and shopping streets can all be included in our tours. For even deeper understanding, we will arrange for behind-the-scenes access to the visited companies and permission to take photos whenever possible.
Retail Study Tours by Creative Insights Inc. are a true educational experience with the goal of expanding horizons, sparking ideas and inspiring change. For our guests, the take-home value comes from a personal “customer experience” view of each concept, a solid dose of education and insight, and even a little fun.
Depending on the needs of our guests, our Retail Study Tour includes:
• Planning and organization of a customized retail study tour
• Customized “set the stage” presentation by Ted Topping that discusses retail concepts and trends, and draws the participants’ attention to the big-picture reasons behind the success of each location to be visited
• Customized tour booklet that details the program and highlights the areas and key stores visited, including concept, history, competitive edge, operating numbers, latest trends and store evaluation sheets
• Behind-the-scenes arrangements
• Travel, hotel, transportation and other arrangements or recommendations as needed.
Keynote for non-retailers on how to be competitive in today’s tough marketplace |
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Tuija Seipell contributes to many of our projects as a researcher and trends analyst |
The rebirth of small independent retail in America and how to join in |
An alternate labor pool for businesses that can implement an innovative solution |
| Start and Run a Retail Business | Associates |
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