I’ve just been standing at our gate, looking out over the fields at the late evening sun. Despite the fact that I’m still cross about the fact that some one has seen fit to steal four of my very old chickens, who had huge sentimental value - It’s a brilliant night. In fact, it’s the night after midsummer’s eve and the sky is still blue. I know the sunset will be well worth seeing, and part of me thinks its one of those evenings for a late surf and a well deserved ale at the doom bar… but that’s another story…
However, the whole essence of tonight has put me in mind of one of my favorite poems. When I was a student, I had this tacked to the inside of my brain, as it was my unsurpassed response to most, if not all, criticism of my time management.
“What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare”
These I think are two of the simplest and possibly most powerful lines, ever written. In a former life, I could have spent the best part of 5000 words discussing why. But in this instance I think they speak for themselves.
Time is one of those commodities, that we often take for granted. As retailers its one of those things that’s vital. Not only for the amount of personal time you spend pouring over books on a Sunday, and yes I know some of you do, but also in terms of the amount of time you need, or would like, potential customers to spend in your shop with your products. I’ve been talking to lots of traders over the last few weeks and several have been telling me that shopping habits, especially of those who are on holiday are changing. The consistent theme is that customers are spending more time looking and less time buying. Perhaps it’s a direct result of the recession, which has probably been harder felt in more circles than have been apparent in Cornwall. Or perhaps it’s just that consumers are becoming savvier and they are getting used to researching the market and its current offers before committing themselves and their money to a product or a shop.
So I’m wondering, and so we get to the topic of this months blog, what is it, if not just having time, that makes us as consumers or retailers, stop and stare?
I’m sure that I can’t answer that for everyone. For Davis, the romantic teller of verse, its several things; animals, woods, night, and not forgetting a dancing beauty with a wonderful smile… While perhaps some of us may agree that a great pair of legs, or scantily clad man or women might grab our attention – the attraction might not translate into a sale. What’s more alarming is the point that if you are competing for market share with amazing customer service alone and customers are not buying on impulse, then perhaps you could be missing a trick.
About a two weeks ago now, I found myself wondering around Quimper. It’s a city, and I guess you can compare it to Truro. Its compact and you have to search for things, but the coffee is amazing, the food as always in France just hits the spot and the local retailers really know how to make you welcome. In fact, most of the time, there I am arrogantly exclaiming several things that normally I would keep to myself, when the shop manager responds to my questions directly in perfect English! I had a great chat with the guys that own ‘Breizh Punisher’s’ who are a band of 5 people with three shops, who have been trading for the last 15 years, and sell amazing local Breton type things… anyway I’m digressing. What I want to say is that in just about every local window there was a cow. Yes a cow. It was raining and people don’t generally tend to stop and stare when it rains – perhaps I’m an exception, but I was so taken by the range, colour and type of small plastic cow on display that I was hooked. Not only did I stop and stare, but I went in and made a purchase– and no not the cow.
It’s a round about way of getting back to the crux of my point. There were two reasons why the cows made me stop. The first – they were a reoccurring theme, which meant the local traders had to be working together, and trust me; one cow would have made no impression at all (remember its raining!). The other thing that struck me was at some point I had to ask why there were cows everywhere, so I had to do more than look and more than stop. So, the stopping and staring was translated to stopping and asking, and ultimately making that all-important impulse purchase.
Time is a random, phenomenon, and some times it can be as fickle as the customers we intend to entice. However just as we have the capacity to control how we capture our customer, we have the capacity to control, make and bend time to our whim should we see fit to use it to our advantage.
As Davis says, “A poor life this if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare”.
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