I ran across the above article today while on PetaPixel.com, a great online photo blog. The article shows a sign found on the door of a specialty food store. The sign reads:
"As of the first of February, this store will be charging people a $5 fee per person for "just looking." The $5 fee will be deducted when goods are purchased"
I will have to agree with Matt Brownell of Daily France that this is “the most misguided strategy we’ve seen for dealing with showrooming.” While stores like Target and Best buy combat showrooming with competitive pricing, small stores like this are coming up with seemingly desperate practices like this. Personally, I feel that this is almost an angry response. Nevertheless, it is short-sighted, and it reflects a lack of understanding of the customer.
Matt Brownell goes on to say
"While it’s undoubtedly frustrating to have people use your store as a showroom just so they can buy the same goods online, imposing a cover charge is hardly the ideal solution. The goal of any retailer should be to impress customers with competitive pricing and great customer service — not treat their customers with suspicion and hostility from the moment they walk in the door.The "suspicion and hostility" shown to the customers will surely drive their showrooming - and purchasing - patterns elsewhere.
That approach won’t just keep the showroomers away, either — it’s inevitably going to turn off a lot of potential customers who had no intention of showrooming, but aren’t about to step into a store that forces them to pay an entrance fee if they don’t find anything they like."
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