It’s almost Thanksgiving and I’m trying really hard to do my part to help the pre-holiday economy. But some retailers just don’t make it easy.
Take Pottery Barn Kids for example. A lack of direct-retail synergy made me feel almost like they didn’t want my hard-earned money. I went to a local PB Kids retail store last week to buy an item I had seen on a previous visit. Alas, it was nowhere to be found.
“No, that’s catalog only,” said the clerk. Not in the mood to argue that they had it in stock less than a month ago–and that she should have immediately offered me a catalog so the company wouldn’t lose a sale–I asked for and received the most recent edition and went on my way.
A few days later, I flipped through the catalog and the item in question wasn’t in the book. Undaunted, I logged on to PotteryBarnKids.com–and the item wasn’t on the site. Is it discontinued? Out of stock? Listed in inviso-text? I’ll never know, and it no longer even matters, as I’m sure I can find it somewhere else.
Harry & David does a much better job of getting me to buy, both direct and retail. After entering several holiday gift orders online, I was greeted at the checkout screen with an offer for 20% off one item shipped to my household. “You deserve something too,” read the enticing copy. Not that I needed the item, but hey, of course I deserved it. The upsell was so smooth I couldn’t resist ordering a treat.
To keep the momentum going, the confirmation letter included a discount good at a H&D retail store. And when I got to the retail outlet, the clerk invited me to join a preferred customers club, entitling me to a free box of truffles when my retail purchases total $150.
Here’s hoping your retail/direct synergy is more like turkey and gravy, rather than mashed potatoes and bubble gum.
(Beth Negus Viveiros can be reached at bethdirect@aol.com.)
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