Of course she’s not the only one to think this, with her opinion being shared, debated and echoed by retail experts, the media and general public as the boom of online sales and out-of-town shopping impacts on our traditional shopping destinations.
The demise of the likes of Woollies (am I showing my age now?), HMV and Jessops has left an often eerie gap on many a high street, and is a sight that we - the Target team – are all too familiar with as we visit towns as part of our work for Specsavers.
Fortunately, this rather sorry state hasn’t impacted on the largest privately owned opticians in the world. As we go to see the 140 stores spanning an area from Street in Somerset up to Spalding in Lincolnshire to discuss PR, we are comforted and encouraged by the bustling stores and busy staff. Here is a business that appears to be bucking the retail trend.
But it’s not plain sailing - there’s stiff competition from online, high street and supermarket offerings, and so the demands and challenges on individual stores are more prevalent than ever.
So how do they succeed? Yes, it helps that the product demands a visit to store (if you want your specs professionally fitted), but securing sales and maintaining loyalty doesn’t happen automatically. A vital element is engagement – engendering support with their local communities to enhance reputation.
PR helps to build these links, working with and supporting the local community, sharing positive news and offering insight and advice. From arranging school visits, securing local sponsorship deals, fundraising for local causes or offering children high visibility vests, there’s a raft of tactics that will support your community relations.
It might not be rocket science, but is certainly a lesson that many other multi-site retailers could learn from and it’s right up their street!
Sam Kandiyali
Director
