Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) Retail Mastery: Sustain Local Business Opportunities in The Retail Ice Age

[The Chinese version follows the English one. 中文版在底部]

The Yata Department Store which has been rooted in Sha Tin and Tai Po for decades, announced a major scale-back in mid-January, sparking market interest. After the pandemic, people’s consumption habits have changed: online purchases surged, and spending abroad or in Mainland has become a new trend. Local spending waned, challenging local retailers.

Ming Pao reports the C&S Department’s figures, the average retail sales for the first 11 months of 2023 were about HK$33.7 billion, still a gap compared to HK$40.4 billion before the pandemic in 2018.

Previous sales tactics fall short in today’s market environment

Previously, Hong Kong thrived on in-person sales, with locals and tourists prefer shopping around and spending generously. Retail success hinged on bustling foot traffic in stores to convert into sales. Yet, the economy slumped after the pandemic, local consumption habits and tourist travel patterns shifted, store traffic plummeted. In these difficult times, merchants must now think creatively to align with new consumer behaviors and demands.

Foster consumer relationships through D2C, turn a single store purchase into ongoing O2O repurchase cycles

D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) approaches could lead retail’s future. Brands could communicate directly with consumers, enhance interactions, build senses of community and emotional connections, thereby secure loyalty. Integrating O2O/ OMO (Online Merges with Offline) technologies to enable switching between online and offline touchpoints seamlessly, creating a coherent shopping journey to encourage repurchase.

Direct-to-Consumer Retail Strategies thrive on the personal connection that can be fostered between a brand and its consumers. A robust O2O CRM loyalty platform becomes crucial in this. It bridges offline-online gaps, gathers data to understand member preferences, offers tailored products and services that meet individual needs, reinforcing member loyalty with a comprehensive and intimate unique experience.

Marketers can also access the CRM backend, grasping first-hand member behavior data to conduct analysis, assess sales performance. Keeping pace with market trends, they can craft precise marketing, optimize products and shopping experiences to match consumer needs.

Francfranc, a Japanese home brand, has launched its anticipated FrancFranc Fun loyalty program in 2023, deepening the ties with its customers directly. FrancFranc Fun members can enjoy exclusive personalized homepage recommendations, the latest deals notification, and points rewards. Integrating the brand’s long-standing e-shop and POS systems, Francfranc leverages firsthand data to deepen the understanding and predict buying behaviors, elevating Francfranc’s retail experience and customer relationship management to a new level. Direct-to-Consumer Retail Strategies are not just a fleeting trend; they represent the future of retail.

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[零售寒冬] 透過會員計劃與現有顧客直接溝通，把握本地商機

扎根沙田及大埔多年的一田百貨旗艦店在一月中宣布將進行業務重整，大幅縮減規模，引起市場關注。經歷疫情後，港人在本地的消費意願下降，消費習慣改變：網購盛行、出國及北上消費成新趨勢，為本港商家帶來前所未有的挑戰。

根據明報引述政府統計處數字，2023年首11個月平均零售銷貨約為337億港元，與疫情前2018年的404億港元相比，仍有一段差距。

過去有效的銷售模式，在今天的市場環境下已顯不足

以往本港銷售屬線下居多，港人及旅客偏好「行街」購物，消費亦較闊綽，零售商家依賴門店的高客流量轉化銷量。唯疫情後的經濟低迷，本地人消費習慣、旅客旅遊模式轉變，使得實體店面人流銳減。疫後消費復甦表現未達預期，零售寒冬似乎仍未盡。在這艱難時期，商家需要創新思維，重新適應消費者行為和市場需求的轉變。

與消費者直接互動，建立緊密關係，將單次門店消費轉化為持續的 O2O 回購循環

D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) 策略或許是未來零售業界的大勢所趨。品牌將應用 D2C 策略直接與消費者溝通，增強互動，建立信任、社群歸屬感和情感連繫，從而培養品牌忠誠度。結合O2O或OMO（Online Merges with Offline）數碼技術，讓顧客能在線上和線下觸點之間無縫切換，為消費者創造一個連貫的購物旅程，將單次消費體驗轉化為回購循環。

在這過程中，一個功能強大的 O2O CRM 顧客忠誠度會員平台將發揮關鍵作用。它能夠無縫連接顧客從線下到線上的消費體驗，透過數據分析深入了解會員偏好，程式自動化持續向顧客提供符合個人需求的個人化產品和服務，以全面貼心的獨特體驗進一步鞏固會員忠誠度。

Marketer 亦可透過 CRM 後台掌握第一手會員行為數據，進行大數據分析，評估銷售表現。緊隨市場趨勢，實施針對性的市場營銷活動，不斷優化產品和個性化的購物體驗，以滿足消費者需求。

日式輕奢家品品牌 Francfranc 在去年推出了 FrancFranc Fun 會員計劃，透過 D2C 策略深化品牌與顧客的連繫。FrancFranc Fun 會員能享有獨家的個性化首頁推薦、最新優惠情報、積分 Earn & Burn 等等。全新的平台整合了品牌的一直沿用的電子商店和 POS 系統，有助 Francfranc 收集和運用一手數據，深入理解及預測顧客的消費行為，將 Francfranc 的零售體驗和顧客關係管理提升至新境界。

量身定制的商業需求忠誠度平台：為您的品牌度身打造
發掘 Motherapp 團隊針對您業務需求量身定制的忠誠度平台，解鎖您品牌的真正潛力。訪問我們的解決方案網頁，體驗無縫整合、度身定制應用程式和經過市場驗證的安全性，助您的品牌取得成功！

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Seize Customers Through Direct Membership Program | Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) Retail Strategies16.02.2024