There appears to be growing trend worldwide towards the establishment of single brand-dedicated stores, and they are even begin to crop up in the Caribbean. Although it might not necessarily be practical for all electronic stores to abandon their current approach, three features of single brand stores that might be worth considering.
For most tech enthusiasts, travel overseas (especially a developed country) would not be complete without a trip to an electronics store to check out the latest devices. Traditionally, these stores would carry a wide range of devices from popular and not-so well-known brands, but not necessarily the entire product lines from a particular manufacturer. However, recently, two trends are becoming increasingly evident. First, standalone stores dedicated to a specific brand, such as Apple, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft and Samsung are popping up increasingly in the retail landscape. Second, select brands, such as the four previously named, are setting up “mini-stores” in larger stores.
To varying degrees, we are beginning to see those trends in the Caribbean, ranging from the recent opening of Samsung stores in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, to Digicel and LIME setting up kiosks in supermarkets and stores. Although the Caribbean, as a region, has been an important profit centre to industries such as banking and telecoms, the extent to which additional single brand electronic stores will be established remains to be seen. However, there might be some benefits that Caribbean tech businesses could consider and adopt, especially as markets become increasingly competitive.
Products can be displayed to their best advantage
Depending on store size and ethos, a frequent approach is to pack the display space with as many devices as possible. Although this might ensure that there a wide range of offerings to suit different customers, it may also mean that with such a high product density, customers can experience some sensory overload, which can result in them being overwhelmed and not being able to complete a purchase.
Wall display of smartphone cases, Samsung Experience Store, Tropical Plaza, Kingston, Jamaica (Source: ICT Pulse)
In a single brand-dedicated store, the device offerings can be considerably less, but more importantly, the storeowner can aim to show off the products their best advantage. Hence matters such as lighting, display and layout can be given more careful consideration to support customer needs.
Knowledgeable sales teams
All too often in stores chock full of a variety of products, the sales staff know very little about what they are supposed to be selling. As a result, they are not helpful to the customers, and basically the interaction between the sales team and customers boils down to “do you want it?”
In a single brand-dedicated store, the sales reps are all versed on the devices that are being sold. Hence, although customers might still do their research, the reps often add value by helping to better differentiate the products, to show unique features and ultimately, be a more useful contributor to the sales process.
Kicking the tyres – Samsung executive discussing laptop features in Samsung Experience Store, Tropical Plaza, Kingston, Jamaica (Source: ICT Pulse)
Although it is easy to blame the sales staff, and they could certainly benefit from having product training, many of our local electronic stores carry dozens of brands, which can change frequently. Hence instead of the store being in a position to help customers to decide on the best device for their needs, the onus appears to be on customers to conduct their own research and only come to a local store when they are ready to buy.
Customer interaction and experience facilitated
Again, depending on the store ethos, in many electronic stores, the products can only be viewed behind glass, or from a distance. If you want to examine a number of devices, the sales rep controls access to them, and invariably is standing over you as you look at, and possibly handle, the product. Moreover, after having put the rep through all that trouble, at the end of the exercise, you will most likely be asked, “do you want it?”
In a single brand-dedicated store, there is an emphasis on having customers experience the product. Hence, for example, in an Apple or Samsung store, or Apple mini-store, the products are not only clearly displayed, samples are available to customers to play with and experience. Hence there can be early bonding with the particular device, and customers can begin to know what it might feel like to own said device.
Table display of Samsung phones that customers can examine in Samsung Experience Store, Tropical Plaza, Kingston, Jamaica
In summary, single brand-dedicated store focus on enhancing the customer experience. In addition to providing a more relaxed atmosphere in which to shop, customers can more easily handle a device – kick the tyres – and get a better sense of the extent to which it might meet their needs. Hence there is a greater opportunity for devices to sell themselves, and for customers to make more informed decisions.
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