I came across an article the other day predicting brick and mortar retail will die in the next 5 years.  Wow!  We at StoreCatch certainly don’t think that is the case, but there are some interesting trends to pay attention to.

Trend One – People increasing look to the internet to learn about and compare products

According to internet retailer, 50% of broadband users say the internet influenced a recent purchase.  When you look around, how many people do you know that consume beyond the basic necessities yet don’t have a broadband connection to the internet?  I would guess not many, and the number is dwindling rapidly.  Follow me here – lets say you need a new winter coat.  How will your search begin?  If you are like me, you will pull up your trusty browser, go to a search engine and type in ‘winter coat’. You will find two or three that look good and attempt to find them locally. Once found, you go try them on and eventually buy. Researching products online are now a way of life. Read the rest of this entry »

StoreCatch loves store owners! We're doing our part to keep brick and mortar retail strong by providing tools to get you noticed. Having a sale and need to get the word out? Need to create a coupon? Want to discuss retail? Lets Start Sale'n!

A new In-N-Out burger recently opened near me to much fanfare. The store opening caused traffic jams all day. Radio stations touted the opening and the ensuing swell of excited customers.

While this is mildly exciting for our neck of the woods, I can’t help but wonder, what is the big deal? Don’t these guys just sell burgers? In fact, I often hear questions from friends and family ‘what is so great about them?’.  I decided I would try and find what they are doing right.  Talk about a crowded market space – McDonalds, Burger King, Carl’s Jr, A&W and various local competitors!  They seem to be competing strong with much more established players.

Bias disclosure: I should mention any biases I may be subject to before I continue… 1. I like burgers, I probably eat one every 7-10 days. 2. I have been to In-N-Out in the past, one in San Diego, one in Las Vegas and one in St. George. All were ok experiences, not memorable. 3. I seem to have a general favorable impression about them, I am not entirely sure when or how that got generated.

So, I decided to trek down to the new In-N-Out in Draper, Utah.  My intent was to pay attention to everything and see if I could pull out what makes In-N-Out highly successful.

The Scene

Upon arrival, on a Saturday evening,  I was greeted with a line out the door.  Parking nearby had been hard to find.  The line moved fairly quickly.  As you have no doubt heard, In-N-Out’s menu is quite lean.  You have a choice of 3 combo meals.  No kids meals.  You can choose to have a shake instead of a drink.  You may also customize the burger (vegetables and condiments).

The decor is cohesive – red and white and sparse.  It reminds you of a 50’s diner.  The employee uniforms reinforce the diner theme.  All are dressed in red and white and have on exactly the same hats, shirts, pants and aprons.   Besides the menu, and exits, there is a sole sign which reads “Quality you can taste”.

The Experience

Once the food was ordered, we were forced to stand to wait for our food.  All seats were taken.  I mean every single sittable area was occupied.  We waited at least 10 minutes for our order.  I rarely wait that long for ‘fast’ food.  Then, it came time to find a seat.  As you can imagine, with such demand for seating, it was cutthroat.   We were vultures circling for vacancy.  My wife ended up sitting next to a stranger to ‘claim’ the rest of their table once they were done.

The restaurant was quite clean.  Incredibly clean considering the traffic flying through it.  It appeared there were two employees whose sole job it was to clean.  Tables were cleaned the moment people got up to leave. Read the rest of this entry »

StoreCatch loves store owners! We're doing our part to keep brick and mortar retail strong by providing tools to get you noticed. Having a sale and need to get the word out? Need to create a coupon? Want to discuss retail? Lets Start Sale'n!

Welcome to the blog for retailers. We at StoreCatch love local retail and want to help promote and enliven it. Visit this blog often to find musings about retail and the small business landscape.   Of course, when you are ready, check out what we have to offer at StoreCatch.

StoreCatch loves store owners! We're doing our part to keep brick and mortar retail strong by providing tools to get you noticed. Having a sale and need to get the word out? Need to create a coupon? Want to discuss retail? Lets Start Sale'n!