Books or screens: why not both?

The rise of the digital age has been hailed as the death knell for books. But books don’t seem to want to go away that easily, do they? The idea that "book people" and "media people" are inherently different seems embedded in our collective consciousness, yet in the real worlds of commerce and letters, the business of books is closely tied to the business of digital media, as a recent article from ISMI reminds us..

Some people won’t date folks who don’t share their literary tastes. With two rooms of overflowing floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, I can relate: everyone in my house is a reader. But we’re also pretty heavy on the digital side, too, with daily use of computers, digital cameras, and mobile devices. The angry war between print and screen is not what it’s cracked up to be, and Borders is counting on that with the introduction of its new media blitz stores that offer genealogy services, movie and music downloading, audible books, and even a publish-your-own option, all topped with a generous helping of well trained staff to help you navigate the digital toys.

Borders was one of the few early mega bookstores to break through my hatred of the breed. I first discovered them around ten years ago while visiting family, on a day when my older relatives probably needed a break from the Parent-and-Toddler show. Local bookstores are my natural habitat, but not all of them are suitable for a two year old. Well before Barnes & Noble invested in couches and cappuccino, here was a store with a carpeted (!!) children’s section, benches and little tables, and my favorite part, a café with highchairs, coffee, and chocolate pastries: the Big Three Essentials to anyone with small children.

I admit I’m a book geek, but taking just one look at the promotional videos for the new Borders store I’m already salivating at the prospect of digital and print media, all in one spot. I’m not big on finding the ancestors at the genealogy site, but I would definitely take whole classrooms full of kids to publish their own books, photo essays, and soundtracks. Sure, I can make my own great media productions from my setup at home. But it’s much more fun when you’ve got all those resources, knowledgeable help, and some other folks doing the same thing right next to you, and of course not everyone will have the same access to technology from home.

Before Starbucks became an empire, CEO Howard Shultz admitted to enjoying Ray Oldenberg’s The Great Good Place, a book which takes a bunch of intellectual ideas about social geography and makes a lucid plea for new spaces for public life. Life in my little college town has all those features right nearby. But most people, especially suburbanites, live in areas where that kind of space doesn’t exist. The new Borders store, while not technically public, anticipates how digital media are already an extremely important part of people’s social and public experience, and seeks to make the Borders destination a central hub for our new print-cum-digital generation.

Tags: retail experience, borders

Accenture study says room for improvement for service at retail

We've all been there -- casually browsing and minding our own business at a local store, when all of a sudden a salesrep appears from nowhere to begin "the conversation." Trying to assure the salesman that you're just looking around might get him to back off to a far corner of the store, but rest assured, the moment you pause, scratch your head or look up, he's going to pounce again, in the name of customer service.

Or maybe you've found yourself at the local electronics store purchasing a new TV, DVD player, or other high-tech gadget. You go to the counter ready to make your purchase, but the salesrep won't let you pay until you've gotten the full 10-minute spiel on upgraded cables, an extended warranty, and professional installation services.

Does it bother you? It sure as hell annoys me. And apparently I'm not alone. According to a recent study from Accenture, "During at least one of their last four visits, 89 percent of consumers with annual income below $50K became irritated by a retailer’s actions; 94 percent of consumers with annual income between $50K and $99K became irritated; and 95 percent with incomes of $100K or more became irritated." Ok, so for all intents and purposes, nearly everybody has been irritated by a retail experience in one of their last four outings to the store.

While cross-sell and up-sell opportunities still abound at retail, and many customers in Accenture's survey admitted they'd be willing to spend more than they had originally anticipated if the conditions were right (e.g. they were at one of their preferred retailers, they received preferential treatment for their loyalty, etc.), too many retailers botch the opportunity by offering the wrong level of service (either too much or too little), or the wrong sales pitch. Accenture recommends a four-part strategy to help improve matters, making sure that the Right person with the Right skills always be available to the consumer at the Right place, and at the Right time.

Want to know what they recommend? Then I suggest you download the PDF.

Tags: customer service, retail experience

Home Depot focuses on retail experience

The AP notes that in the wake of former CEO Bob Nardelli's resignation, the Home Depot will be shifting strategies a bit to sell off its Home Depot Supply business (catering to professional construction companies and contractors) in order to free up some cash, buy back some shares, and focus exclusively on its retail stores.

While both the AP story and the original press release are unclear about how some of the estimated $10.3B from the sale will be used in-store, recently the company has been criticized for poor customer service and challenging store layouts, especially in contrast to rival Lowes, who has made great strides in both of these areas. I'd thus expect to see a wave of hiring (there's never somebody in an orange apron around when you need them!), hopefully some improved wayfinding signage and maybe even a planogram change, and there's even the possibility to install some retail media services or interactive kiosks to provide supplemental services.

Tags: Home Depot, retail experience