Redirecting Retail in a Slowing Economy

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www.thebergstromgroup.com REDIRECTING RETAIL IN CHINA How to lure young consumers in a slowing economy

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With spending down and earnings slipping, how can brands entice youth to buy? To better understand the problem and source solutions, we repeated our retail priorities study and investigated retail in many of its forms – across categories and (physical or virtual) locations.

Transcript of Redirecting Retail in a Slowing Economy

Page 1: Redirecting Retail in a Slowing Economy

www.thebergstromgroup.com

REDIRECTING

RETAIL IN CHINA How to lure young consumers in a slowing economy

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Introduction

With spending down and earnings slipping, how

can brands entice youth to buy? To better

understand the problem and source solutions, we

repeated our retail priorities study (previously

conducted in 2008 and 2010) and investigated

retail in many of its forms – across categories and

(physical or virtual) locations.

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TOP 10 RETAIL

PRIORITIES

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TOP 10 RETAIL PRIORITIES: 2013

Young consumers are

looking for distinct

relevance and advantage

– Consumers’ biggest

concern is safety

– Their prioritization of Quality,

Reputation, and

Cleanliness reflect a focus

on safety and hint at a next

era that highlights trust

Read our original post

here

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TREND WATCHING 2008-2013

As the pace of growth in the market declines, brands need to take the

opportunity to develop a deeper relationship with consumers. Eager brands

are still zooming in on China and hunting to expand their presence but

despite enthusiasm, we see retailers confronting significant problems.

Check out our 2008 results in Women’s Wear Daily and 2010 results

in AdAge

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ENHACING IN-STORE

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THE OPPORTUNITIES OF E-

COMMERCE

Independent B2C has increased its

share from 6% in 2011 to 22% in 2012

in online apparel spend

A slow execution across the board in

digital performance (site, social media,

mobile, and digital marketing)

– Not one brand from L2's study earned the

“genius” rank yet

– The study's estimation of fashion brand' IQ is

down 12 percent from the 2011 index as

brands have been slow to localize content

and launch e-commerce

L2’s report on fashion brands’ digital performance in China 2013

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THE RISE (+ FAIL) OF ONLINE RETAIL

The Rise: Unique Brand and Offering

Ex: Neiman Marcus’s online

presence hopes to bring in the next

wave of luxury and designer marks to

an audience eager to stand apart – NM Edits includes trend reports, guides to

mixing & matching patterns and colors,

introductions to designer brands, and an

interesting “affordable luxury” section.

The Fail: Cumbersome Payments

Ex: Lane Crawford slows down

purchases – Consumers need to be over 18 years of

age

– Customers can not pay via Alipay and are

charged delivery fees

– Sales terms and conditions are issued in

English.

Read our original post here

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GOURMET EXPERIENCE STORE

Starbucks’ 1st gourmet experience store opened in Beijing's Oriental

Plaza

– 17 freshly made bakery items and meals exclusively designed for the store

– A coffee flavor lab with special coffee containers, coffee beans, and coffee plants

– Regular lectures given by baristas on origin, breed, tasting and other expertise

– Customers’ orders are delivered by baristas to tables

Read our original post here

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DIGITIZED RESTAURANTS

Popular Sichuan restaurant chain

Spicy Joint is finding ways to enhance

diners’ in-store experience

– Launched an app that allows users to

reserve tables, order food, download

coupons, and get updates on wait times

– Creates magazine-like menu monthly

– Allows customers to take the menu home

after the meal

Read our original post here

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IMPORTING UK HOUSEWIFE

CULTURE

Cath Kidston adds credibility to

growing housewife culture in China

– Everything is British and unabashedly

vintage – Including London metro maps

and British royal guards

– Adding credibility, the label on the back

of table cloths shows a UK phone

number

– Cook books and other how-to

homemaker guides allowing

consumers to walk the walk and well,

cook the cookies

Read our original post here

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Young assistants act as

models for the brand

– Mainland Chinese assistants

from Rope Picnic are given style

training to best represent the

brand's aesthetic

– Shop assistants serve as

models for the brand online

Read our original post here

Check our earlier post on

shop brand

ambassadors: Japanese

brand create mini celebrity

sales forces

ASSISTANTS AS BRAND

AMBASSADORS

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WHO WE ARE

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Established in 2006, The Bergstrom

Group has developed a reputation for

providing vivid customer immersions for

brands and agencies. We began our

commitment to China by focusing on

young consumers.

Based in Shanghai but spread across

China, our on-the-ground team of subject

matter experts, researchers,

trendspotters and creatives is dedicated

to telling the story of new China in a way

that is both authentic and actionable.

OUR STORY

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OUR BOOK

ALL EYES EAST: Lessons from the Front Lines of

Marketing to China’s Youth

By Mary Bergstrom

+ Top 5 Marketing Books of the Year

by Expert Marketer

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www.thebergstromgroup.com www.alleyeseastchina.com

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