JephMaystruck.com

I love sushi.  My favorite place is Wasabi at the Normanview crossing.  The other day I wasn’t sure what time they closed so I decided to Google them.  I couldn’t find anything, not a phone number, address, nothing.  Now all I want is the basics; hours open, location, menu (with prices), God forbid a testimonial or two!  Go ahead, try find them on the internet.

I know they can get all this done with minimal to no work at all on their behalf for $1,000-$1,500.  So what’s stopping them? Probably the cost.  But if the average person spends a minimum $10 it would take 100 people who found their site online and convinced them to come thru the door to achieve the site’s break even point. What would you do?

They could take it one step further and have pictures of everything on the menu (their menu is HUGE) or have a Sushi tutorial, teach me about it, give me something more than I’d expect to find on their site. But first things first get a site.

The amazing thing about this Wasabi is that it has a beautiful interior and is the most inexpensive in town (unverified) but a bento box here is $9.99 and it’s delicious!  You can’t tell me more people wouldn’t go there knowing this and why not spread the word?  Start a Facebook group when you join you get 50% off your next visit, then at random once every month that same offer is sent out to all the group members. It might just work, but first they need a site.

Engage Post in Social Networks

Hide Sites

I drove by Sobey’s today and a large magnetic sign out front said “Chicken legs, $1.19 /lb”.  It struck me as odd because I would assume that sign should entice me to come in.  I know what you’re thinking, that some people did go to Sobey’s because the sale on chicken legs, you’re probably right.  But couldn’t they come up with something better than chicken legs?

This got me thinking and led me to look up the four big grocer’s in Regina, those being Sobey’s, Safeway, Superstore, and Co-op. Click on any of these stores and it will take you to their flyer page.  All four have a sound online presence except Co-op, their flyer is in PDF form and is 5.8 Mb in size, but I guess if you’re looking up the Co-op flyer you have ten minutes to wait for it to download. Safeway is the only one on Twitter and all they tweet is feel good sayings and nothing that’s going to convince me to shop there*.

In the past people were loyal to a grocer, my Mom was a devout Superstore customer, she’d never set foot in a Safeway.  Our generation is different, we like convenience and a good deal.  I prefer Superstore over the rest because I think it is cheaper but the fact of the matter is I will go to where is most convenient.

A useful site would be a real time comparison of the deals offered by the big four, break it down, give me a reason to shop at your store.  Get on Twitter and tweet your unbelievable sale items (by unbelievable I mean the ones that will entice me to come in because you know I’m not only buying Chicken legs when I shop). I would love to check UberTwitter on my phone for deals at Sobey’s if I’m near by.

I feel this industry is behind technology wise because they have to cater to the baby-boomers who do the majority of shopping.  When the purchasing power shifts from baby-boomer to generation Y prepare for a change.  We will not only expect change to occur, we will demand it.

Have you recently thought about how your customer is/will be changing?  Or are you just putting up magnetic signs telling everyone about your chicken legs on sale?

*-Looking at Safeway’s Twitter feed I found a online promotion for a free box of Tangerines for their Twitter followers with purchase of $25 or more.  Limit 25,000 Followers 305 including myself.  Hey it’s a start!

Engage Post in Social Networks

Hide Sites

My roommate went out the other day and came back with an expensive pair of snowboard boots. When I asked the price, it took me back a bit so I inquired if he had shopped around at all, he said, “No I just went to Offaxis, why would I shop around?”

He could have purchased snowboard boots online for a quarter of the price. He still could have shopped around Regina and found a better deal. He could have saved up to $200 somewhere else on a different pair but didn’t. I believe I would call this a loyal customer.

At first it surprised me, but when you think of Offaxis and their business model it makes perfect sense. Build a store that sells merchandise for snow, wake and skateboarding then host events that celebrate those sports in an extreme fashion (Summer Invasion, JibFest).

It’s not a regular business model and that’s why it works.  They don’t tell us to like them, they give us a reason to like them and be a part of the sports we already love.  They started a “tribe” of their own.  Offaxis puts the time and effort into events that showcase their business, in return they get the trust of anyone who’s directly involved with them and that creates a loyal customer.

Sometimes the best marketing plan is a great business strategy.

Engage Post in Social Networks

Hide Sites