If We're so Smart About Multi-Channel Retail, Why Are Some Store Locators so Dumb?

Getting multi-channel retailing done well is not easy.  Good news for shoppers and retailers, a lot of companies are getting very good at it.   Buy online, pick up at the store.  Buy online, return to the store.  Order from the web kiosk in the store.  Check store inventory online.   Read web customer reviews in the store on your mobile phone.   There's no limit to the way customers use channels and devices to save time and get the information they need, and they are hopping across channels and devices like never before.  A couple of quick stats, in case you need convincing:

• 69% of shoppers research products online before going to a store (Source: Business Week survey 2008)
• With the economic downturn, 53% of shoppers say they use the internet more frequently to research products and prices (Source: NCR survey of U.S. consumers)

There's one multi-channel essential that's not that hard to execute, but can easily be ignored by e-commerce teams: the store locator.  Done well, a store locator can be a great resource to help a shopper  before she heads out to buy...it  might even get her excited about the shopping trip.

Here's a quick glance at the store locators of a few well known multi-channel brands, showing the best, and unfortunately the boring worst of what store locators can be.  

REI: They've been a leader in multi-channel execution since the early days of e-commerce, and their approach comes through loud and clear with their online store locator.  Shown below, I can get all kinds of information about upcoming events, the product categories carried in the store,  and I can even set an appointment to get personalized shopping help.  Love the GPS coordinates in addition to the directions, too.  

  

Nike:  While Nike's e-commerce site is frequently cited at the top of critics' lists as the pinnacle of balancing brand, engagement and utility, their store locator appears to be a long forgotten element.  After a forced zip code entry, you get in return little more than a weak Yellow Pages listing.  With an e-commerce site that's so vibrant and exciting, this makes me want to skip the store.  Surely that's not the intent.

 

Apple: It's a bit of an effort to find the store locator on Apple's site (deep in the footer), but as you might expect, the info and experience deliver above and beyond once you get there.   At the Apple locator, I can register for classes, schedule an appointment with a Genius, reserve a new item before it arrives in the store, even watch videos of past store events. I can sign up for email from my store to keep updated on upcoming events too.

 

Best Buy: This retailer has set many examples of the importance of involving store team members in just about everything.  The Best Buy store locator shows promise but could be so much more.  I love the personal note from the store manager and the ask for customer feedback, but the events area is blank (of course it should be coded so that the events header does not appear if there's nothing there) and I don't get the sense that there's much going on here.

 

Whole Foods:  Ok, so this site does not qualify as an e-commerce site, but it's a great example of what a store locator can be when you let the employees take ownership.  Note the store calendar, ability to download a PDF of the store's specials, get an RSS feed of events,  and the Twitter feed of the store manager's Tweets!

 

Let's face it.  I've lived in Seattle for 25 years and I already know where all of the stores near me are located.   But there's something cool going on in just about all of these stores every week that I usually don't know about. 

If you're not convinced that making your store locator worth visiting is worth the time, here are a few more stats you might want to consider:

46% of shoppers say that they want to receive product information, coupons, promotions and store sales information online. (Source: NCR survey of U.S. consumers)

26% of shoppers say the weak economy is causing them to make more frequent shopping trips to take advantage of sales and promotions (Source: NCR survey of U.S. consumers)

Comments

[Patrick Bultema]

Great piece. Agreed that this is a dimension of connecting the customer experience across the web and physical domains.

[Sally McKenzie]

Thanks Patrick. One of the things that strikes me about the store locator is that it is comparatively simple when you take into consideration the complextity of many cross channel initiatives. A store locator that's executed well can bring a human factor to a website - many of which are fairly void of the personal touch (ie the Whole Foods example). I know the human element is a big focus for you guys at CodeBaby, and I'm a huge proponent of that wherever we can make it happen online.

[Chris Goward]

Great piece, Sally, and so true.

Apple is a great example. My local Apple store is at Pacific Centre in Vancouver. I haven't tried to find it through apple.ca but know I can find it on Google with a search for "apple pacific centre".

There I can easily see upcoming events and book an appointment at the genius bar so I don't waste time waiting in line.

This is also another example of SEO for local retailers being just as important as site navigation. Even if you're a physical retailer, the Google SERP *is* your landing page.

Chris
WiderFunnel Marketing Optimization
http://www.widerfunnel.com

[Sally McKenzie]

Thanks Chris, you are right that the store locator info can indeed be a good way to improve SEO, which I failed to mention. Bottom line, it's really not just a store "locator" anymore, it's a landing page, store map, appointment setter, promotional flyer and personal shopper all rolled into one.

[vancouver internet marketing]

Thanks for all the tips. I guess I have been sitting a lot on the sidelines to learn as much as I can. I love to learn, but Faith without works is dead. Thanks for your inspiration to get more active with my blog.