By Aimee Chanthadavong
As people are getting ready to spend post-GFC, Australian retailers need to be more innovative and bring more excitement to shopping, according to Australia’s largest bi-annual study on shopper behaviour released by AMP Capital Shopping Centres (AMPCSC).
The online research Recommended Retail Practice (RRP) Report that involved 1,000 respondents found that almost half of Australians say sales have lost their appeal and no longer act as a trigger to spend despite improving signs of shopper optimism.
Scott Gillespie, AMPCSC national marketing communications and sponsorship manager, told Retailbiz that consumers want excitement in the way they shop.
“While 50 per cent of shoppers love a bargain, people want to be engaged and not even just in the store but the store’s website needs to also reflect the same engagement that is felt in store online while people are doing their research,” he said.
Based on the report, the international retailers that are successfully engaging with their customers include Zara, Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch and Waitrose.
AMPCSC’s Stuart Langeveldt said in a statement that Australians are about to “witness a revolution in retail in Australia” that will be “partly fuelled by the arrival of successful international retailers such as Zara and Gap”.
“These global retailers are not arriving to participate in the discounting war but to offer a fresh shopping experience to Australians,” he said.
“While the internet is an important element in engaging with customers, the retailers that will be successful are those who use a wide cross section of multimedia channels to effectively and appropriately engage in ways that are relevant to their customer groups.”
Similarly, Gillespie said that the two factors that determining customer engagement are sustainability and multi-channelling.
“People are looking to living a more sustainable life and so consumers want to spend with a company that is sustainable whether it’s their business practice, the way their product is made or they’re supporting some initiative,” he said.
“Multi-channelling refers to having huge online presences such as Zara and H&M who are highly popular on Facebook. All Australian retailers need to embrace the changes and take the next step to see what works and learn from other companies.”