Today we see retail efforts come in many shapes and sizes. Business strategies and store optimization tactics are more diverse than they have ever been. One of our favorite new phenomena is the transition to a digital world. Lately, however, there has been a merging of techniques and we have seen a few instances where brick n’ mortar storefronts have taken digital procedures such as crowdsourcing and applied them to their local shops.
What is crowdsourcing?
The term “Crowdsourcing” was originally coined in 2005 when businesses began to utilize the internet as an alternative to outsourcing work. Companies realized that online networks could be leveraged to replace functions that would typically be carried out by employees or outsourced companies. In 2013, it became a commonly known term for leveraging a large online group to solve problems or create content.
How can it be used in retail?
We have seen retailers get very creative with their crowdsourcing efforts. Specifically in retail stores where they have turned over the product selection to the locals. The concept – if the shelves are full of what the customers want, then there won’t be any items that sit on them for too long. Just be sure to highlight your crowdsourced products with store signage in professional grade sign holders to really increase sales!
What are the benefits of stocking crowd sourced items?
Imagine a store that has everything the locals love to consume and nothing that they would prefer to avoid. If this sounds like a dream come true, then you might have experience with the stress involved in the retail or produce ordering process. As the room for error in today’s tight economy continuously lessens, the need to ensure that products will appeal to your customers has grown larger than ever. Crowdsourcing has become a viable technique to engage deeply with local customers and provide them with next-level customer service and a fantastic shopping experience. Best of all, when you ask your regulars for advice on filling the shelves, you can expect them to help empty the shelves just as well.
Who has used crowdsourced products successfully?
A supermarket in Denmark named Super Brugsen has done a fantastic job appealing to their eco-minded locals. They leveraged their website as a suggestion portal in which they reached out to their customer base for product recommendations. The insight revealed was priceless. Customers favored local goods and possessed a very unique taste for produce. Super Brugsen used crowdsourcing to cater to their preferences, which created a better store experience and also ensured their orders would not sit on the shelves for too long.
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