Independent retail shops – how to be digitally accessible to customers?

[Anon-M]

Hi guys,

I was hoping to get opinions from some independent shop owners (and also any consumers out there). I’m working with a small team on a project to build an instant messaging service, something similar to WhatsApp, but one that is dedicated to messaging between shoppers and shops.

We are trying to gauge what level of interest there would be among shop owners for such a service. Would anybody have any thoughts? Is this something that you think our high street could use and benefit from?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Marty

 

[Opinion87]

How are you going to differentiate yourself from say... WhatsApp Business?

Most people have WhatsApp, so you don't have to convince them to download a different app.

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

What will the messages be about?

 

[Anon-M]

How are you going to differentiate yourself from say... WhatsApp Business?

Most people have WhatsApp, so you don't have to convince them to download a different app.

Hi Opinion87, thanks for your reply.

We differentiate ourselves by being dedicated to customer / retailer chat. So there is no confusion and no crossover from the perspective of a shopper. This service is not for personal chat with friends plus business chat with shops. It's only for business chat with shops.

Also, shoppers have a user name on our service, which they can share with any retailer that they choose to chat with. So they have no need to share their personal phone number. Which reassures them in terms of privacy.

 

[Fagin2021]

The way you've described it sounds like a solution looking for a problem.

What problems are you trying to solve? What benefits would it bring to shops or shoppers?

Until you answer that, no-one can easily comment.

 

[Anon-M]

What will the messages be about?

Hi Lucan Unlordly, thanks for your reply also!

Anything really. We don't expect that every shop would use it. But we see it is a basic tool that some shops could use to create a better experience for shoppers, when the need arises.

As an example, I might be shopping for a pair of jeans, maybe my size is not available, so instead of the sales assistant suggesting that I try back in a few days when they get more stock in - they instead tell me how they will have more stock in a few days and offer to drop me a text message.

Another possible example, say I order a bouquet of flowers from a florist shop, to be delivered to my partner a few days later. Wouldn't it a really nice touch if that florist sent me quick text message to say, "Hi Martin, here is a photo of the actual bouquet that we made for your partner. It's on its way to them right now".

It's really up to businesses to determine how they might want to use it.

I guess we think that small independent shops really need to be looking for ways to make their businesses not be a commodity on Amazon. If that makes sense

 

[Anon-M]

The way you've described it sounds like a solution looking for a problem.

What problems are you trying to solve? What benefits would it bring to shops or shoppers?

Until you answer that, no-one can easily comment.

Hi Fagin2021, thanks for taking the time to reply.

I take your point that no-one can easily comment without the detail.

I guess there are several problems that we are trying to play a small role in solving.

Some general problems:

1. Footfall on our high streets and as a consequence our high streets themselves are in decline.

2. More and more shoppers are choosing to shop digitally when that option is available to them. Think screwfix vs a local hardware shop. Think ordering on the Just Eat App vs making a phone call to a local takeaway. Think using Uber vs ringing the local cab company. There is a clear trend of shoppers leaning to digital when it's available to them.

This is a problem for small retailers because they simply can't compete digitally.

Some specific problems: (if we accept that shoppers are increasingly digital)

1. Most small shops are not easily discoverable.

As in, if you search for a product on your smart phone you're probably going to find a retailer many miles away selling the product that you want - when the same product may well be sitting in a shop much closer to you, but the shop much closer isn't online.

2. Most small shops are not digitally accessible.

As in, say you suspect that a local hardware shop might have a specific item that you're looking for, but you cant access that local hardware shop digitally to check, so instead you access Amazon digitally and that's where you place your order.

I guess in our minds, we see our service as simple tool that makes all shops (or at least the ones that use our service) easily discoverable and digitally accessible to shoppers.

 

[Deleted member 335660]

Hi guys,

I was hoping to get opinions from some independent shop owners (and also any consumers out there). I’m working with a small team on a project to build an instant messaging service, something similar to WhatsApp, but one that is dedicated to messaging between shoppers and shops.

We are trying to gauge what level of interest there would be among shop owners for such a service. Would anybody have any thoughts? Is this something that you think our high street could use and benefit from?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Marty

Hi Marty,

We own a gift shop and I am struggling to see what benefit it would have especially if you want us to pay for it.

We have a website, we have Facebook page with WhatsApp business and Messenger and emails.

People post or send PM to us like “ can you save this for me I’ll pop in Saturday “. It’s all free and integrated.

 

[WaveJumper]

I have been in retail for more years than I care to remember I am am sorry to say its yet something else someone has dreamed up thinking they can sell it to retailers. I can just hear the local BID manager now trying to sell the concept to their local town centre's As above sorry but your searching for a problem that is not there.

 

[fisicx]

@Marty.W having a messenger app isn’t going to add anything useful. If a local shop isn’t already online no one will know about their app.

You aren’t building anything new. There are already loads of ways to communicate and buy online.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

no confusion and no crossover from the perspective of a shopper.

I don't think you give consumers enough credit!

As mentioned, you could have a solution looking for a problem! Most people would do the research before starting development!

 

[Anon-M]

Hi Marty,

We own a gift shop and I am struggling to see what benefit it would have especially if you want us to pay for it.

We have a website, we have Facebook page with WhatsApp business and Messenger and emails.

People post or send PM to us like “ can you save this for me I’ll pop in Saturday “. It’s all free and integrated.

Hi Trevor,

Thanks for your response. I really appreciate feedback which is very useful.

It's good that people send you PM or posts with questions. Could I ask if you feel that having the ability to message your business is something that customers value?

And given that you have experience with customers messaging your shop, do you ever sense that there are simply some customers that would be reluctant to message you, simply because they are not comfortable giving you their phone number?

I hope you don't mind me asking you questions! Your opinion is very helpful!

Regards,

Marty

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

they are not comfortable giving you their phone number

Why do you need to give your phone number (if not WA)?

 

[NickGrogan]

Hi Opinion87, thanks for your reply.

We differentiate ourselves by being dedicated to customer / retailer chat. So there is no confusion and no crossover from the perspective of a shopper. This service is not for personal chat with friends plus business chat with shops. It's only for business chat with shops.

Also, shoppers have a user name on our service, which they can share with any retailer that they choose to chat with. So they have no need to share their personal phone number. Which reassures them in terms of privacy.

How is this different from whatsapp or sending an email?

 

[Anon-M]

Why do you need to give your phone number (if not WA)?

Hi Paul,

How is this different from whatsapp or sending an email?

Hi Nick,

So the simple difference is the fact that a consumer can engage one on one with any shop without having to reveal their social media profile or their personal phone number to that shop.

So this is essentially a simple secure messaging service, that is entirely free for both the shopper and the shop to use, but where the shopper has the reassurance of knowing that the shop owner has not recorded their phone number or viewed their social media profile.

Do you see any value in such a service?

 

[fisicx]

Do you see any value in such a service?

No.

Because to discover the service is available you would already have been in contact with the shop. If I’ve now got to download an app to contact you I’m not going to bother.

 

[Opinion87]

Hi Paul,


Hi Nick,

So the simple difference is the fact that a consumer can engage one on one with any shop without having to reveal their social media profile or their personal phone number to that shop.

So this is essentially a simple secure messaging service, that is entirely free for both the shopper and the shop to use, but where the shopper has the reassurance of knowing that the shop owner has not recorded their phone number or viewed their social media profile.

Do you see any value in such a service?

A really complicated version of having a chat box on a website?

 

[Fagin2021]

Hi Marty

Everyone here would wish you success with your enterprise but the problem is that you haven't convinced anyone that what you're proposing has any value or adds to the communication channels already available.

You and your team need to imagine you're giving a presentation in The Dragons Den and asking for investment. Think about the hard questions they'd ask and how you would respond. "Wouldn't it be nice if...." ain't going to cut it.

If you can't answer their questions, maybe it's time for a rethink?

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

I don't think this is anything new or something that cant be installed in seconds for little or no cost!

 

[Paul Carmen]

Zero, would be the level of interest. We ran a research project like this as part of local shops/pubs/restaurant analysis during the initial Covid-19 lockdown.

We were even looking at creating local online audiences in the background to generate traffic and leads in local areas, as well as contact/booking/simple coronavirus GDPR compliant tracking tools.

We did quite a bit of research and the feedback was that local businesses would largely do their own thing; for the digitally aware and sophisticated they had booking/chat/apps already or being created/adapted for the pandemic situation. Some had enough walk in business and local custom to manage without it and put in their own manual processes, others in the stone age couldn't cope and failed quickly, but would likely have failed longer term anyway.

One of the big pub epos and data providers tried something similar and ended up giving it away free to their current clients. Suffice to say we didn't progress with it as a project.

This would need a big installed app base of actual consumers to have any chance of working, then local businesses would see a potential benefit. What you've got currently is a product that doesn't have a USP and needs selling to both customers and businesses, so unless you have a huge marketing budget, you're wasting your time.

Do your research, look at your market, the customers and their needs, then create a plan for both the product and how to get it to market profitably.

 

[Anon-M]

Hi guys,

Thanks to each of you for taking the time to respond to my original post. And apologies if I have not replied to each of you directly.

There is a consistent message here that is very useful for us and important to hear. So I am very appreciative of your input.

Many thanks,

Marty

 

[Opinion87]

Try not to be too disheartened. Get the team together, crack your heads together and move on to the next idea.

 

[intheTRADE]

As @Opinion87 says, do not be too disheartened

Whilst agree with the rest of the comments that this a solution looking for a problem, that doesn't mean it couldn't be part of something bigger.

Are you currently working in the digital marketing space? Maybe a more generic approach to your services. A bricks and mortar digital specialist helping physical locations utilise online services such as GMB, Social Media, WhatsApp for Business etc then incorporating your message service all for a monthly fee.

 

[Anon-M]

Try not to be too disheartened. Get the team together, crack your heads together and move on to the next idea.

Thanks Opinion87,

I appreciate that! And we are not at all disheartened. It's important to research and listen to all points of view which is what we are really trying to do.

Regards..

 

[Anon-M]

As @Opinion87 says, do not be too disheartened

Whilst agree with the rest of the comments that this a solution looking for a problem, that doesn't mean it couldn't be part of something bigger.

Are you currently working in the digital marketing space? Maybe a more generic approach to your services. A bricks and mortar digital specialist helping physical locations utilise online services such as GMB, Social Media, WhatsApp for Business etc then incorporating your message service all for a monthly fee.

Thanks intheTRADE,

No, I am not in the digital marketing space. But I do work around large retail.

Thanks for your comment. Some interesting suggestions there!

Regards

 

[fisicx]

For an app to work everyone needs to be using it. Which means they need to know about it. Which means marketing. Lots of it.

Just eat has TV ads. People know to reach for the app to order a takeaway.

But they aren’t going to do the same for the local hardware store to check if a tin of Dulux is in stock. They are more likely to check their website or pick up the phone.

 

[NickGrogan]

where the shopper has the reassurance of knowing that the shop owner has not recorded their phone number or viewed their social media profile.

Do you really think shop staff spend their time trying to find the Facebook page of someone who wants to buy a hat or whatever they well?

I know working in retail can be boring, but it can't be that boring.

You're solving a problem that doesn't exist.

 

[Anon-M]

Do you really think shop staff spend their time trying to find the Facebook page of someone who wants to buy a hat or whatever they well?

I know working in retail can be boring, but it can't be that boring.

You're solving a problem that doesn't exist.

Thanks guys for the comments. And thanks Nick, you make a very sensible and obvious point.

If I may ask another quick question (to anybody that may still be reading this thread!)

So ignore the instant messaging thing, as those services already exist elsewhere.

Question is;

If there was a different digital tool built for shop owners, that was free to use, required you to invest less than 10 mins of your time to set up, and allowed you to provide a slightly better experience to a small number of your customers. - Would your reaction be;

(a) That sounds interesting, that might be useful, but I would want to know more before deciding.

or

(b) I am not at all interested. Do not tell me more.

 

[Opinion87]

How easy would it be for the customer? Would they need to download and app?

 

[fisicx]

What is the slightly better experience?

 

[Anon-M]

How easy would it be for the customer? Would they need to download and app?

Sorry.. Yes, the customer would need to download an app. And they would need to register on the app. The process of downloading and registering would take them approx 90 seconds. They would be required to do this only once. And they can even do it after they have left your shop.

The customer will also be fully aware that they would be doing this to take advantage of a slightly better experience that you are providing specifically for their benefit.

 

[fisicx]

Sorry.. Yes, the customer would need to download an app.

How many apps have YOU downloaded from places you visit?

 

[Anon-M]

How many apps have YOU downloaded from places you visit?

A few to be fair - but ONLY when there was an obvious benefit to me.

I maybe should also have added, that once the customer has downloaded this particular app, they can use it to benefit from a slightly better service from ANY other shop that happens to be using this same digital product.

In other words, this is NOT one app for one shop. This is one app for EVERY shop (that uses this particular digital service).

 

[fisicx]

Ok. So what is the obvious benefit to me?

As an aside, I remember something like this being trialled some years ago. Failed because nobody saw any real benefit.

 

[Anon-M]

Ok. So what is the obvious benefit to me?

As an aside, I remember something like this being trialled some years ago. Failed because nobody saw any real benefit.

The obvious benefit to you? As a shop owner / manager?

 

[NickGrogan]

The process of downloading and registering would take them approx 90 seconds.

No it wont, I've never downloaded and registered any app in 90 seconds.

allowed you to provide a slightly better experience to a small number of your customers

No, because its not worth it.

Let me give an example.

I have the KFC app on my phone, it's installed, registered and working fine.

If I buy KFC and show my app I get a stamp. Stamps = free chicken.

I've been to KFC 5 times in the last 10 days (don't ask)

Every time I've paid with my phone - the one the app is on.

I haven't bothered to open the app once, because the two clicks it takes and showing it to the staff, is too much effort.

The staff haven't asked me either, despite the useful data it would give KFC.

 

[Anon-M]

No it wont, I've never downloaded and registered any app in 90 seconds.



No, because its not worth it.

Let me give an example.

I have the KFC app on my phone, it's installed, registered and working fine.

If I buy KFC and show my app I get a stamp. Stamps = free chicken.

I've been to KFC 5 times in the last 10 days (don't ask)

Every time I've paid with my phone - the one the app is on.

I haven't bothered to open the app once, because the two clicks it takes and showing it to the staff, is too much effort.

The staff haven't asked me either, despite the useful data it would give KFC.

Hi Nick,

Brilliant. Thanks for your answer.

 

[Anon-M]

Ok. So what is the obvious benefit to me?

As an aside, I remember something like this being trialled some years ago. Failed because nobody saw any real benefit.

Hi fisicx,

Could I ask you what your answer to this question would be..

The original question was;

If there was a different digital tool built for shop owners, that was free to use, required you to invest less than 10 mins of your time to set up, and allowed you to provide a slightly better experience to a small number of your customers. - Would your reaction be;

(a) That sounds interesting, that might be useful, but I would want to know more before deciding.

or

(b) I am not at all interested. Do not tell me more.

 

[fisicx]

Can't answer without knowing what this benefit is.

 

[Anon-M]

Can't answer without knowing what this benefit is.

So, would it be reasonable to say for your reaction is;

(a) That sounds interesting, that might be useful, but I would want to know more ON WHAT THIS BENEFIT IS before deciding.