Establishing Customer Relationship for less than $50

Last issue, we featured Creative Packaging's successful store makeover. In staging an effective transformation, it is crucial that both the physical and emotional aspects of selling be taken into account. For Creative Packaging (CP) in Burnaby, this meant the elevation of their core product's perceived value as well as creating a fuzzy feeling around them.

Having basic boxes and shopping bags as core products, elevating product value did not mean "glamorizing" boxes and bags. This simply does not fit the image CP wanted to sell. Their selection and price points do not support the "prestige" category, nor does this image fit their customers, who themselves are small business owners. Elevating core values meant looking at the elements that make CP successful-and that is the team that make up CP and their customers.

All relationships between customers and store begin on the selling floor. How customers are greeted and the type of service establishes a long-term relationship, or at the very least, precludes the establishment of one. It is therefore imperative that this relationship be celebrated and customers made to feel that they are an important part of the business.

How does this increase a product's perceived value? When consumers buy products not for the product itself, but rather for reasons of what it can do for them, the value can then be extracted from those reasons. In the case of CP, their products more than just offer customers a way to package their goods, more precisely, their products assist small business owners in growing their operations. Retail is detail and packaging plays a vital role not only in establishing product credibility but also business integrity. Hence, CP is really a partner in their customers' success.

In order to bring this premise onto the selling floor, framed testimonials along with product photos were placed throughout the store. This effectively ensured that the "feeling" of partnering remained constant when customers shopped CP. Depending on the frame you use, installing framed testimonials or photos of your customers using your product throughout your store can be done for less than $50!