Recently retailers have been going out of their way to let their shoppers know that they understand how tough it is out there. Most, by now, have offered various forms of sales assistance and only time will tell if they have been successful in capturing a greater share of shopper dollars along with their offers of help.
Last week, Wegmans announced it was cutting prices on products across the store. Danny Wegman, chief executive officer, and Colleen Wegman, president, said in a joint statement, "These are uncertain times. We know our employees and customers are very concerned, and so are we. During difficult times like these, it's okay with us if we make a little less money."
Kmart, of course, is making a push with its layaway program and it recently launched a Black Friday event that started weeks before the unofficial/official start of the holiday shopping season.
Yesterday, an email from Kent Anderson (no relation), president of macys.com, expressed a desire to help a shopper who has registered on the site but never actually purchased anything.
The communication said, "Today's uncertain economic environment has made shopping smart a priority for families across the country." True enough.
It then offered the shopper a 20 percent discount on their next (first) macys.com order with the following from Mr. Anderson: "I'm offering this discount exclusively to our email subscribers. You might see a similar offer on the site and in our stores, but this email offer has fewer exclusions. I hope you'll make the most of it - use it to save on essentials for your home and family, or get a head start on holiday shopping."
Discussion Questions: Do most shoppers see offers of "help" from retailers during tough times as something that goes beyond a merchant's desire to ply dollars from their purses and wallets? What must retailers do to be considered "genuine" in the minds of consumers? Does it even matter or is the deal the only thing that counts?