Key things you need to consider when choosing a retail store
The retail sector in South Africa is an open competitive space that accommodates different players in its bid to meet diverse consumer needs for goods and services.
This implies that for every product or service, there are a myriad of retailers ready to supply or sell to the willing buyer.
This wide array of retailers’ available places the responsibility on the consumer to carefully consider which retail store will be their final choice and what should be considered when choosing a retail store?
Guzzle recently conducted a survey that pointed to key things consumers are considering when selecting retail stores.
This is what you need to consider when choosing a retail store:
Specials
Specials have become an important consideration for shoppers with minimal or extra disposable incomes. While many shoppers are willing to spend on the products they need, they are also constantly on the lookout for specials to spend less and save some money.
This was most apparent with 82.1% of the survey respondents affirming that they love browsing for specials. Guzzle has positioned itself as the ideal solution to meet this consideration.
Every month, Guzzle uploads on an average between 800 and 900 catalogues from a variety of South Africa’s leading retailers with great specials.
Outside of pay week, Guzzle uploads on average around 200 to 220 catalogues per week while 300 catalogues are uploaded during
the pay week period.
Guzzle ensures that it only displays products that are presently on promotion, with a start and end date This translates into an audience of over 700 000 users a month planning their shopping on Guzzle, browsing over 11.4 million catalogue pages.
Stock availability and quality
Stock affordability and quality feature prominently on the list of factors shoppers are taking into account when choosing a retail store.
Shoppers are looking for retail stores which are consistently stocked with their favourite products. Guzzle has stepped in to assist in this regard by ensuring that retailers who list their catalogues on the website are credible Guzzle also allows users to set email alerts for products and specials of interest.
This allows Guzzle to send reminders to consumers through the provided email address when new deals are available.
Convenience Shoppers in the current busy world don’t have all the time in the world. Convenience has therefore been placed on the list of key factors they consider.
Shoppers are looking for a retailer or brand which allows them to purchase products with ease. Guzzle meets this need by allowing shoppers to search for products and catalogues by type and supplier.
This means shoppers can search for products, brands, and retail stores anytime and anywhere in a convenient manner.
Location, proximity, and accessibility It’s a no-brainer that shoppers often look for retail stores located close to where they live or
work.
The survey again affirmed this truth by emphasising location as a key consideration. Guzzle has made this less of a stumbling block because the Guzzle site confirms your
location or you can set your location and the website will only serve you catalogues based on your location.
Price and brand
The survey has highlighted that price and brand are key factors for South African shoppers. Not only are they conscious of the price but they are also conscious about the type of brand a retailer stocks.
Guzzle assists in this regard by collecting and analysing trends and price points within product categories in which the retailers’ catalogue is hosted.
If users search for a specific brand, Guzzle will filter all active specials related to that particular brand, which the retailer is offering, display the end date of the special, and click-through to the retailer website where applicable so that shoppers can buy the product.
This allows shoppers to browse and shop their brands in line with their budgets.
Safety
Safety is of paramount importance and shoppers, through the survey, have emphasised how they constantly look for physically secure stores, as well as, digital platforms which don’t expose them to risks of fraud.
While Guzzle doesn’t eliminate the risk of crime in the brick- and-mortar retail stores, Guzzle assists consumers by ensuring they don’t spend time in malls and other places looking for products that increase their exposure to crime.
Guzzle is rated among the top 10 websites in South Africa. This status has been earned by putting in place digital catalogue software technology that safeguards the security interests of shoppers and retailers.
The software facilitates secure interactive catalogues free from scammers which allow shoppers to search for products across catalogues. There is also a buy now link feature mapped to the product listing page on the retail website.
This in a nutshell guarantees shopper browsing and shopping security.
Reliability
South African shoppers are looking for reliable retailers and shopping platforms.
Guzzle is a South African based (locally-based team) catalogue aggregator business website with well- established business relationships with most of the leading retailers & brands in the country who list a wide variety of catalogues.
With over 700,000 shoppers currently browsing in more than 11.4 million catalogue pages per month, Guzzle has cemented the trust and reliability of both retailers and consumers in South Africa.
Customer service
The Guzzle survey has highlighted the constant need for quality customer service. Shoppers are not only looking for products, they are looking for retailers with friendly and informed customer service to respond to various concerns shoppers might have. They are also looking for user-friendly and secure digital platforms to use for their shopping.
Guzzle has answered this call by ensuring its digital platform is secure and user-friendly but also ensuring that there are open lines of communication with leading retailers who list their products when the need for clarity arises.
While the list of factors may not be conclusive, the above highlights key considerations shoppers are taking into account when choosing a retail store which any consumer should also seriously consider. Guzzle maintains its efforts to be a reliable partner in ensuring that the needs of consumers are met.
Guzzle Media
