Last night my wife, our 3 kids and I had a big night out at the grocery store - more specifically, Festival Foods. We often shop at Festival Foods for a number of reasons (not the least being their sweet liquor department). They’re certainly not the cheapest store in town, but they understand our needs as parents with small children, and make it convenient for us to purchase their “goods and services.”
Parking for new or expecting moms
Only two steps out of the car and I was again reminded of their commitment to their customers. Not only does Festival Foods provide a child care solution inside their store, but they also reserve special parking outside for “new or expecting mothers.”
This is genius on many levels. First, it’s just a really nice thing to do (who says chivalry is dead?). Secondly, mothers with babies are great customers. Not only do they need the same daily essentials as other customers, but they may swing in to purchase additional items such as diapers, formula, baby food, etc. – all items that aren’t cheap (my wallet can attest to that).
Festival Foods commitment to it’s customers certainly extends beyond the items mentioned above, but my point is that their customer awareness results in increased sales. Again, the reason we spend money there is because our kids are less likely to throw a fit in the middle of the store, which makes for a more relaxed shopping experience for all involved. Certainly worth the extra bucks that we may have saved shopping somewhere else.
Are their areas of your business that can be modified to more closely match your customers needs? What changes can you implement to make it easier for your customers to purchase your products or services? Do you have customers with special needs? How can you better accommodate them? Answering these questions could prove to be profitable.
