Here we go! As every year in France, from January 8 to February 11 and
for a period of 5 weeks, we dive into the winter sales. On average,
French consumers will spend €200. Despite — or perhaps because of —
the economic crisis, these figures are up 10%. So, faced with such
enthusiasm, should we consider the sales period as a prime opportunity for
customer loyalty?
The
origins of this clearance event
First of all, did you know? In French, “soldes” (sales) is a masculine plural noun — not to be
confused with its feminine counterpart, referring to the sum of money paid to
a soldier or civil servant.
The history of sales, or the selling of unsold stock, dates back to the early 19th
century. As craftsmanship gave way to the industrial era and mass production of
manufactured goods, businesses found themselves dealing with
accumulating stock and unsold products. To clear this surplus inventory,
two sales periods (winter/summer) were established and
a first law was passed in 1906. In France, Mr.
Simon MANNOURY, founder of the Le Petit Saint Thomas stores — which later became
Le Bon Marché — was one of the pioneers in this field. Ahead of his time, he launched his
first sales in 1930, with the following objectives:
- Clear excess stock.
- Generate Revenue.
The
sales period: impact for Merchants
Over time, certain abuses in sales practices
(creation of specific collections, poor pricing management, etc.) led
consumers seeking greater transparency to gradually turn away
from physical stores, preferring to shop online at lower prices.
Today, many Merchants invest significant energy
and resources during the sales period without knowing whether their efforts will pay off
or whether they can lay the groundwork for lasting customer relationships. Foot traffic
during this period is so high that it becomes difficult, if not
impossible, for Merchants to build and enrich a customer database
without a simple, well-suited loyalty system.
An effective customer loyalty tool
Too many stores and Networks still lack a working and effective customer
loyalty system. As a result, they operate in the dark,
unable to properly measure or evaluate their commercial results or
take advantage of this high-traffic period to build lasting customer relationships.
Beyond the original goals of clearing stock and generating
Revenue, the sales period is undoubtedly a prime opportunity to
acquire new customers and build their loyalty. To make the most of this major
customer event, don’t hesitate to implement and use a loyalty system. It will help you prepare
and map out each step in advance, and then measure the effectiveness of your actions
and manage the post-sales period.
So make the most of the sales season to build customer loyalty — now is the perfect time!
