With regularity bricks and mortar retailers bemoan the internet sellers, especially those overseas. They will continue to lobby the government regarding the LVIT until it is reduced. This is fair enough. It’s tough out there without additional threats (not that I believe reducing the LVIT will make any significant difference). Meanwhile, are retailers fighting back hard enough? Have they got their houses in order? Are we all intent on making the shopping experience so good that customers will
be less inclined to buying online?
I received the following from a reader about three weeks ago.
“I went into Target to buy a toy for my toddler. I can’t seem to find any kind of system in the way the toys aisles are set out so can never find what I’m looking for. There is also never anyone around to help you so invariably I leave without getting what I went there for.
“On the same trip I also went to buy some maternity clothes from one particular store. After parking a 10 minute walk from the shopping centre as the traffic was so terrible I got there to discover that the store is no longer there. I wished I had just gone online for the toy and clothes and will next time, going to the shops is too frustrating and time wasting.”
This is disappointing in itself, but what is far more disappointing is the response from Target.
About two weeks ago I wrote to Target and copied them with the above comments and invited them to respond by last Thursday – April 16. I had planned on writing this article for publication on Friday 17. Having received no response from Target, I decided to leave it another week.
At the time of writing (April 23) I have had no response.
This arrogance is quite unacceptable. Given the opportunity to comment and ignoring it, speaks volumes for the company and the buck needs to stop at the CEO’s door, Stuart Machin.
This is not the first poor experience I have had with companies under the Wesfarmers umbrella. On a previous occasion I had carefully researched material before publishing an article. To the credit of the CEO involved, I subsequently received a good response, but it wasn’t without some pain on both sides.
I suspect that no comment will be forthcoming from Target or Wesfarmers, but perhaps I’ll be surprised. But then again, maybe I won’t.
Stuart Bennie is a retail consultant at Impact Retailing www.impactretailing.com.au and can be contacted at stuart@impactretailing.com.au or 0414 631 702
