Online reservations for sales
The winter sales have started in France and will continue until 16 February, but unlike previous years, 70 French chains (including Caroll, Eram, Minelli and La Grande Récré) have decided to extend their online product reservation system into the sales period. This gives customers a chance to put aside items they would like to try on in the store, without any purchase obligation.
Some chains even allowed reservations well before the actual discounts were revealed, while others chose to wait for the sales to start or will only start next week, when the first rush is over.
69 % of French people are in favour
“Retailers are usually hesitant because sales are traditionally located in stores”, Louise Lefort says. She works for SoCloz, a company that provides web-to-store solutions. It seems that they have decided to go along with it this year however “because there is a lot of added value to the service: with an 85 % visit rate, eReservations generate qualified sales”. That means that if people are willing to put the work in to make reservations online and then enter the store, a sale is pretty much guaranteed.
The web marketer points out that the system also “brings customers to stores in a time when private online purchases and the terror threat keep an increasing number of people at home”. She also states that it leads to “40 % more sales” as a customer can be persuaded to make impulse buys when visiting the store. She did admit eReservations are more work for staff as they have to put things aside when requested.
French consumers seem to like the eReservations system during the sales period: a study says 69 % wants to use it as it increase their shopping comfort.
