A retailer specialising in products for celiac suffers in Queensland charges people for browsing according to a report in the Courier Mail. Given that knowlegde is a service in such a specialised area I think it’s fair they charge.
While we operate in a different space in newsagencies with magazines, it does make you wonder if sharing our regular readers is worth a shot.
It’s only fair if the market decides it is. I suspect people won’t look favourably upon such a charge.
I also wonder about the legality of such a charge.
Why wouldn’t it be legal ?
You get charged a cover charge or entry charge to venues like night clubs, the races or various other things. So long as she makes it clear prior to someone entering the store she should have no problem. Enforcing it may be the issue as how the hell do you get someone to pay the money if they just walk in do a lap of the shop and walk back out ?
BTW, since the story has come from the wonderfully reliable source of our own Courier Mail I’m wondering how correctly it’s been reported.
I think it’s suicide in her case but I get where she is coming from.
As Paul said how are you going to implement the charge? I would think that the attempt to implement the charge would be damage alone.
We have a similar thing here with ski products. The local ski shops tell me an overwhelming number of customers come in and try on jackets, pants, gloves, helmets, goggles, boots etc only to walk out and not return. A lot confess that they only wanted to get a “fitting right” before ordering it online sometimes for not a whole lot cheaper or to take advantage of an offer made online. Frustrating from one side of the counter and perceived as smart from the other side. I don’t know what I would do in that situation with given their costs and I know full well that’s the way retail is going in some areas but I think that it’s a bit stiff taking advantage or the retailers effort and cost to display the gear and let you try it for your benefit only to have you walk out the door.
Rock and a hard place category I think.
Ive seen similar stories from US retailers. Apparently the browse in store, buy on line phenominon is known as showrooming. Evidently the fee comes off any purchases made in store. Seems a bit self defeating to me. The store cant beat on line for service, price or product, so it just deters people from coming into the store at all. Not sure how that makes sense.
I disagree slightly James. The store CAN compete on service and product. It’s price via overheads that’s the prickley one !
Paul,
Unless they have a person at the door informing every customer of the charge then I doubt it would hold up as legally enforcable. I don’t think a sign will be enough.
Sounds like a great idea if you like sitting alone in a store without customers. Even if I thought there may be something I wished to buy having to pay a fee to find out would have me walking on by.
As mention already.. the market will decide if charging for entry is acceptable.
Personnally I think this is fantastic…
because here’s a business owner responding to changes in her market. The real question is, has she judged her market accurately and is her response going to benefit her business, or is this simply a protest exercise. If it’s a protest.. big mistake. Customer sympathy doen’t pay the bills and they certainly don’t like being told were to shop. But if the customer views this charge as a value proposition.. . good for her, I admire her courage. If online shopping is having such a big impact on her business, she also has a choice to establish an online present herself… we all have a choice..
I think in some areas surf shops get together and charge customers to try on wetsuits. if you then buy the wetsuit from another store down the road with the agreement, then your try-on-charge is taken off, and the stores transfer that money.
seems like a good idea.
showrooming is bad for a lot of retail sectors.