Retailers: Be in the "know"

Like many retailers, toy stores are under pressure from a variety of sources. Retailers are vying to make their venues the place to shop. However, some stores just focus on impersonal aspects or adopt a warehouse approach to retailing, thereby sacrificing personalized customer service.

If retailers do not clearly differentiate their store through customer service, they are abdicating a crucial reason for consumers to shop at their respective businesses.

By knowing their clientele, retailers can gain access to valuable information that enables fine-tuning a store's entire operation, from product selection and merchandising to types of employees and hours of operation.

To obtain a better understanding of your customer base, ask yourself some basic questions about the primary shoppers.

Who are they? Determine the composition of your clientele. Are they parents—single or other-wise—grandparents, friends? Ages and gender count, too, as does whether a child accompanies the adult shopper.

Where do they come from? Establish whether your customers live in close or travel a distance to get to your store. Consider that they might be shopping at another near-by store.

What are they shopping for? Find out if your customers are looking for a specific toy or in a specific category; if they shop for special occasions like birthdays, Christmas, Hanukkah; or if they shop on impulse. Determine if the purchase is for a child or an adolescent. Maybe it's for themselves! A significant number of adults may be in search of a toy that reminds them of their own childhood or are looking to invest in an item they consider to be collectible.

Why did they come into the store? Ask your customers for specifics about what drew them to your store. Product selection, convenience, attention-grabbing window display, just browsing, advertisement, brochure or another promotional item are some examples.

When are they shopping? Note if your customer is shopping in the morning, afternoon or evening; on a weekday; during the weekend; or on the way home from work.

If you've been in business for any length of time, you most likely already have a general profile of customers in your mind. Write it down! Add to it based on what you remember from particular customers and your conversations with them.

Analyze when purchases are made at your store. Times and dates can be obtained from your records, register tapes and credit card receipts.

Review your product-buying records. Look at these from the view-point of who purchased what items. Be aware of which product is selling well to what type of customer.

Begin asking for information about your customers. This can be done formally—encouraging them to sign up for a mailing list, for example—or less formally by starting up a conversation with the intent to obtain specific background data.

Neighborly conversations often provide some of the best information about customers' purchasing habits. Many people are happy to volunteer information about their interests if they believe a salesperson is legitimately interested in providing the best possible service to them.

Clientele discussions can offer valid information because many of your customers are business people themselves. They know why you are asking and might even be thinking they could use the same technique with their own customers.

If your store already has a Web site to support the brick-and-mortar location, ensure that you collect your customers' e-mail addresses.

Additionally, home addresses will allow you to target your advertising or brochure distribution.

From an industry or business category perspective, trade magazines and trade associations, as well as regional and national trade shows, are valuable sources of information.

For closer-to-home information, look to local business groups and chambers of commerce in your city or town. These groups can provide pro-files of local neighborhoods, as well as housing and population trends. In addition, take a closer look at the list of businesses themselves.

Knowing the competition is also very useful. Perhaps even more helpful are those businesses that sell to the same type of customer as you do, but aren't necessarily considered competitors. Give some thought to joint promotional opportunities. It is highly probable that a local children's clothing store and your toy store can develop some cooperative events.

Taking a fresh look at customers opens a variety of opportunities!