The commercial marketplace has evolved to the point where retail sales no longer have a monopoly on the consumer world. To elaborate, consumers once relied almost exclusively on retail outlets for their needed goods, but today you can purchase from online stores, auction sites, wholesale outlets, liquidation centers, and in some cases, you can even go straight to the manufacturer. If you sell any kind of merchandise, there are still advantages to using traditional retail outlets.
Customer Rapport
Retailer benefits include customer rapport which benefits both you as a buyer and as a seller. Retail outlets allow customers to see what they are buying up close and, as opposed to online stores, they provide instant gratification, because the customer walks away with their purchases immediately. A friendly and helpful staff also helps to build customer loyalty, ensuring that customers return again and again. From a business standpoint, retail outlets allow you to reach a customer base that might be put off by the online marketplace.
Greater Inventory Options
When considering wholesale vs. retail, retail sales provides you with greater inventory options, because not all merchandise is available on the wholesale market, according to Know This. To provide a bit of perspective, wholesale goods come straight to the manufacturer to a wholesaler, usually mass produced at a low cost. The wholesaler may sell to a retailer or sell to the public directly. But because not all goods can be mass produced at a low cost, the wholesaler is limited in terms of inventory. By contrast, a retail business can produce goods for itself, purchase from wholesalers, or directly from manufacturers.
Greater Sales Potential
With a retail outlet, you can sell a variety of products and expose customers to items that they didn't even know they needed. For instance, a customer might enter the outlet looking for a pair of jeans, but then wind up purchasing jeans, three shirts, a belt and a tie. By consolidating a variety of merchandise in one central location, you dramatically increase your sales potential. You may even attract customers who were going to a different store in the same area!
Less Shipping Drama
What's bad about online shopping? When you customers feel deceived or unsatisfied, or have to wait on delayed gratification. If deciding whether to sell in a retail outlet vs. online, consider that a retail outlet spares you from having to charge shipping costs and from having to deal with lost packages, tracking codes, customer addresses and complicated online sales databases. With a retail outlet, you can make each sale with greater confidence and fewer conflicts. When customers are able to see and feel the product before buying it, there will likely be fewer returns, according to The Shops at Willow Park.
Benefits for Consumers
If you are consumer and are considering reasons to shop at traditional retail outlets, as opposed to online, consider some of the same benefits. You can save on shipping costs, receive instant gratification, inspect your items carefully before making your purchase and not have to worry about packages getting lost in the mail. You also can have all of your questions answered immediately by helpful staff, rather than having to rely on email messages and phone calls.
There are both pros and cons of retail stores, the cons focusing heavily on the costs associated with overhead. But there are also pros and cons for online stores, so it may be best to offer your customers both.
