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探秘不走寻常路的内衣店Journelle:即便经济萧条,依然脱颖而出

Danny翻译,Danny发布英文 ; 2012-10-09 14:43 阅读次 
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不走寻常路的内衣店Journelle:即便经济萧条,依然脱颖而出纽约Journelle是一家不同寻常的品牌内衣店。谁能够在时而振奋但大多时候是令人沮丧的过程帮助女顾客找到完美的内衣呢? Journelle在这方面足以傲视内衣店业内同行。

只要问她的客户就知道了,就像不久前才光顾Journelle体验科学的胸罩搭配方法的女顾客,其搭配过程通常至少需要销售助理20分钟的服务时间。经过沟通咨询,数次测量,并可以从不同的品牌中做出最佳选择,顾客大都大包小包满心欢喜地走出店铺。事实上,这个特定的客户很高兴接受了知识丰富和富有同情心的服务,尽管她是一个难以打交道的纽约人,她20分钟后带一杯热茶和一袋曲奇回来,对销售人员表示谢意。

也有忠诚的老年客户可能不再拜访任何Journelle的个案。决心为了不丢掉一个客户,在精心的测量计算之后,发现店铺里并没有符合她体型的最佳选择,Journelle销售团队采取从网上购物的方式找到理想的匹配。当货物抵达后,销售人员把它们带到客户的住址,通过个性化的上门服务确保她得到了完美的搭配,让她感到愉快,舒适,和自信。虽然这可能不会是一个让Journelle最有利可图的客户互动体验,但它忠实地遵守了公司的经营宗旨“让女人精彩每一天。”

虽然女顾客占Journelle的客户群的大多数,公司也为让男顾客感到自己很重要而作出不少努力。男顾客最爱的结果是看到他们伴侣身着漂亮内衣的曼妙身材,但购物流程可能是一个非常混乱而且令人尴尬的体验。买什么,什么尺寸,什么形状,什么材料,什么风格…我已经结婚17年了,但这还真难倒了我。为了教育男顾客如何购买内衣,并在这个过程中感觉舒适,Journelle在联合广场店为男顾客端上一杯苏格兰威士忌。绅士专场之夜包含一个由经验丰富的销售人员提供的简短,简单教程,在Journelle自由自在,安全舒适的环境中,男顾客可以提出任何问题,当然,还有享受不尽香醇苏格兰美酒!

谁料到买内衣会是这样一个完美的体验?更令人难以置信的是,Journelle在2007年才初出茅庐,2007年 -破产的小企业数量暴涨,一片哀号。从2007年第一季度到2008初年申请破产的小企业数量增长33%。从2008年第一季度到2009年初,破产申请增加了75%。

然而,Journelle不仅经受住经济衰退的打击,而且蓬勃发展,并以两位数的增长杀出血路。虽然许多公司决定削减成本,未雨绸缪,保存现金以应对糟糕的经济处境,Journelle的首席执行官,克莱尔,告诉我,她看到了在经济衰退中的机会:“我意识到,女性依然会购买内衣,但他们忍受不了小小的差错,包括购物体验。这是一次从竞争对手中脱颖而出的绝好时机,如果我们想要那里取得销售量的话,Journelle不得不有所作为。所以我大力加强了客户的购物体验和销售助理的服务力度。”

管理层通过建立完善的销售人员的培训计划并充分保障他们在工作中应用学习到来的本领来建立起最佳的客户购物体验。克莱尔回忆说:“我觉得在经济衰退中,如果Journelle顾客的购物体验很平庸那将会是一个死亡之吻。”如果Journelle遇到阻碍了优秀的客户购物体验的障碍,他们会马上着手解决。例如,当客户表示希望销售助理能够为其安排更多的时间,Journelle重组其业务和缩减销售人员所有的非面对客户的活动(例如存货盘点)。当竞争对手裁员的时候,Journelle反而雇佣更多销售人员,保证他们总是有训练有素的专家在店铺里,随时随地及时协助客户。结果是令人吃惊的:从2011年上半年到2012同期同店销售增长55%。

Journelle成功经历了历史上最严峻的一场经济衰退的考验并不是一个孤立的事件。一些公司在经历经济衰退之后比他们开始时表现的更好。为了找到这些成功的公司到底做了什么, PA咨询集团(我的雇主),与经济学人书籍《管理不确定性》的作者合作,进行全面调查。我们发现的结果字面上称作"成功蓝图"。调查结果显示,在衰退中,有部分公司取得比他们同行更高的股东总回报(TSR)。这里有一些像Journelle那样的公司的最佳实践,如下所列:

有较高的股东总回报的公司把调动员工主观能动性放在首要地位,他们的成功归功于授权其员工专注于其核心业务活动。

作出的精明的商业决策的公司已经意识到,并对市场和竞争对手的行动及时作出响应。

最成功的公司有一个积极的态度,乐观的心态,让他们看到,并抓住 危机中出现的机遇。

一些公司在经历经济衰退后更加强大了。传统的智慧建议这些公司谨慎行事:他们必须削减成本和费用,减少他们的雇员。但这一次传统的智慧是错误的。研究发现,在经济下滑中表现最好的200个公司眼光独到,高瞻远瞩。他们承认,这不是一个“普通”的衰退,并把教科书抛弃在一边。

不走寻常路的内衣店Journelle:即便经济萧条,依然脱颖而出纽约Journelle是一家不同寻常的品牌内衣店。谁能够在时而振奋但大多时候是令人沮丧的过程帮助女顾客找到完美的内衣呢? Journelle在这方面足以傲视内衣店业内同行。

只要问她的客户就知道了,就像不久前才光顾Journelle体验科学的胸罩搭配方法的女顾客,其搭配过程通常至少需要销售助理20分钟的服务时间。经过沟通咨询,数次测量,并可以从不同的品牌中做出最佳选择,顾客大都大包小包满心欢喜地走出店铺。事实上,这个特定的客户很高兴接受了知识丰富和富有同情心的服务,尽管她是一个难以打交道的纽约人,她20分钟后带一杯热茶和一袋曲奇回来,对销售人员表示谢意。

也有忠诚的老年客户可能不再拜访任何Journelle的个案。决心为了不丢掉一个客户,在精心的测量计算之后,发现店铺里并没有符合她体型的最佳选择,Journelle销售团队采取从网上购物的方式找到理想的匹配。当货物抵达后,销售人员把它们带到客户的住址,通过个性化的上门服务确保她得到了完美的搭配,让她感到愉快,舒适,和自信。虽然这可能不会是一个让Journelle最有利可图的客户互动体验,但它忠实地遵守了公司的经营宗旨“让女人精彩每一天。”

虽然女顾客占Journelle的客户群的大多数,公司也为让男顾客感到自己很重要而作出不少努力。男顾客最爱的结果是看到他们伴侣身着漂亮内衣的曼妙身材,但购物流程可能是一个非常混乱而且令人尴尬的体验。买什么,什么尺寸,什么形状,什么材料,什么风格…我已经结婚17年了,但这还真难倒了我。为了教育男顾客如何购买内衣,并在这个过程中感觉舒适,Journelle在联合广场店为男顾客端上一杯苏格兰威士忌。绅士专场之夜包含一个由经验丰富的销售人员提供的简短,简单教程,在Journelle自由自在,安全舒适的环境中,男顾客可以提出任何问题,当然,还有享受不尽香醇苏格兰美酒!

谁料到买内衣会是这样一个完美的体验?更令人难以置信的是,Journelle在2007年才初出茅庐,2007年 -破产的小企业数量暴涨,一片哀号。从2007年第一季度到2008初年申请破产的小企业数量增长33%。从2008年第一季度到2009年初,破产申请增加了75%。

然而,Journelle不仅经受住经济衰退的打击,而且蓬勃发展,并以两位数的增长杀出血路。虽然许多公司决定削减成本,未雨绸缪,保存现金以应对糟糕的经济处境,Journelle的首席执行官,克莱尔,告诉我,她看到了在经济衰退中的机会:“我意识到,女性依然会购买内衣,但他们忍受不了小小的差错,包括购物体验。这是一次从竞争对手中脱颖而出的绝好时机,如果我们想要那里取得销售量的话,Journelle不得不有所作为。所以我大力加强了客户的购物体验和销售助理的服务力度。”

管理层通过建立完善的销售人员的培训计划并充分保障他们在工作中应用学习到来的本领来建立起最佳的客户购物体验。克莱尔回忆说:“我觉得在经济衰退中,如果Journelle顾客的购物体验很平庸那将会是一个死亡之吻。”如果Journelle遇到阻碍了优秀的客户购物体验的障碍,他们会马上着手解决。例如,当客户表示希望销售助理能够为其安排更多的时间,Journelle重组其业务和缩减销售人员所有的非面对客户的活动(例如存货盘点)。当竞争对手裁员的时候,Journelle反而雇佣更多销售人员,保证他们总是有训练有素的专家在店铺里,随时随地及时协助客户。结果是令人吃惊的:从2011年上半年到2012同期同店销售增长55%。

Journelle成功经历了历史上最严峻的一场经济衰退的考验并不是一个孤立的事件。一些公司在经历经济衰退之后比他们开始时表现的更好。为了找到这些成功的公司到底做了什么, PA咨询集团(我的雇主),与经济学人书籍《管理不确定性》的作者合作,进行全面调查。我们发现的结果字面上称作"成功蓝图"。调查结果显示,在衰退中,有部分公司取得比他们同行更高的股东总回报(TSR)。这里有一些像Journelle那样的公司的最佳实践,如下所列:

有较高的股东总回报的公司把调动员工主观能动性放在首要地位,他们的成功归功于授权其员工专注于其核心业务活动。

作出的精明的商业决策的公司已经意识到,并对市场和竞争对手的行动及时作出响应。

最成功的公司有一个积极的态度,乐观的心态,让他们看到,并抓住 危机中出现的机遇。

一些公司在经历经济衰退后更加强大了。传统的智慧建议这些公司谨慎行事:他们必须削减成本和费用,减少他们的雇员。但这一次传统的智慧是错误的。研究发现,在经济下滑中表现最好的200个公司眼光独到,高瞻远瞩。他们承认,这不是一个“普通”的衰退,并把教科书抛弃在一边。

Journelle in New York City is no ordinary store. Among its intimate apparel store peers — who are in the business of helping women find the perfect undergarments through a sometimes thrilling and at other times exasperating process — Journelle stands out.

Just ask its customers, like the woman who not long ago walked into a Journelle store to experience the science of a bra fitting, a process than usually takes at least 20 minutes of a sales associate's time. After a consultation, several measurements, and trying on a range of options from different brands, the happy customer left the store feeling fabulous — and with lots of purchases in tow. In fact, this particular customer was so thrilled with the knowledgeable and empathetic service she had received that despite being a hardened New Yorker, she returned 20 minutes later with a cup of hot tea and bag of cookies as a thank you for the sales associate.

There is also the case of the loyal elderly customer who could no longer make it into any of Journelle's locations. Determined not to lose her as a customer, and undeterred by the complication that the store did not stock the item that worked best for her shape, the Journelle sales team resorted to online shopping to find the ideal fit. Once the items arrived, a sales associate took them to the customer's house for a personalized home fitting to ensure that she got a perfect fit that made her feel happy, comfortable, and confident. While this may not have been one of Journelle's most profitable customer interactions, it was conducted in faithful adherence to the company's strategy statement to "make women feel amazing every day."

While women make up most of Journelle's customer base, the company makes an effort to make men feel important, too. Men may love the end result of seeing their significant other in lingerie, but the process of shopping for it can be a very confusing and awkward experience. What to buy, what size, what shape, what material, what style... I have been married for 17 years, but this still trips me up. In order to educate men on how to shop for lingerie and to increase their comfort with the process, Journelle holds scotch tastings for men at their Union Square store. The gentlemen-only night incudes a short, simple tutorial from experienced Journelle sales staff and free time for shopping in a safe environment where the men can ask any questions they want — and, of course, taste lots of scotch!

Who knew that shopping for underwear was an experience worth perfecting? What is even more unbelievable is that Journelle opened its doors in 2007 — when bankruptcy for small businesses skyrocketed. From the first quarter of 2007 to 2008 bankruptcy filings for small businesses grew 33%. From first quarter 2008 to 2009, bankruptcy filings leapt by 75%.

Yet Journelle not only survived the recession, but thrived through it, experiencing double digit growth over the period. While many companies decided to cut costs, batten down the hatches and conserve cash in response to the bad economy, Journelle's CEO, Claire Chambers, told me she saw the recession as an opportunity: "I realized that woman will still purchase undergarments but they would have very little tolerance for anything subpar, including the shopping experience. This was the time to truly stand out from our competitors, and that is what Journelle had to do if we were going to get the sales that were out there. So I doubled down on the customer experience and the sales associates."

Management set out to build the best customer experience possible by instituting a training program for sales staff and fully committing themselves to its implementation. Claire recalls: "I felt that the kiss of death would be for Journelle customers to have a mediocre experience while being in a recession." If they encountered barriers to an outstanding customer experience, they removed them. For instance, when customers expressed a desire for more time with sales associates, Journelle reorganized its operations and stripped away all non-customer facing activities (e.g. inventory counting) from sales staff. While competitors were reducing headcount, Journelle hired additional sales associates to ensure they always had trained experts on the floor to assist customers with virtually no wait at all. The results are staggering: same-store sales are up 55% from the first half of 2011 to the same period in 2012.

Journelle's success through one of the worst recessions in history is not an isolated incident. Several companies came out of the recession stronger than they were when it started. In order to find what actions these successful companies took, PA Consulting Group (my employer), working with the authors of The Economist book, Managing Uncertainty, conducted a comprehensive survey. What we found was literally a blueprint for success. The findings revealed that a group of companies emerged with higher total shareholder return (TSR) than their peers post-recession. Here are some of the practices that those companies, just like Journelle, followed:

Companies that had higher total shareholder return prioritized engaging, enabling and mobilizing staff and attributed their success to empowering staff to focus on their core activities.

Companies that made savvy business decisions were aware of, and responded to, their market and competitors' actions.

The most successful companies had a positive attitude and an optimistic mindset that enabled them to see — and to seize — the opportunities presented by the crisis.

Some companies that came out of the recession stronger than they went in. Conventional wisdom would suggest that these companies were the cautious ones: they must have cut their costs and expenses, reduced their headcount. But this time conventional wisdom was wrong. The research found that 200 of the best-performing companies in the downturn were the visionaries. They recognized that this was not an "ordinary" downturn and they threw out the rulebook.


关键字: 营销策略 创业策略 经济危机
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