Shane Flynn was a significant player in the Flight Centre business. Now he’s brought his experience to bear at retail franchise, Sleepy’s.

WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN AT RETAIL

“You need to look at everything from the customer’s point of view. If you think something is a great idea, but it isn’t for the customer, it’s irrelevant.

“For example, the Sleepy’s Forest range of beds was biodegradable, it was launched with lots of marketing, it was all about saving the planet. It was launched with much fanfare, it was made out of recycled plastic bottles; it sounded great but the customer just didn’t want it.

“It’s a matter of timing; it was looked on as a failure, but in five years time we could relaunch it if the public is ready.

“Product and the relationship with the customer are critical. This is based on how many ways you can touch the customer.

“The traditional way is through bricks and mortar, but customers are increasingly mobile, constantly on the move, so you have to be not just about beautiful shops, although that helps.

The choice of buying channels is important for customers: some will buy a bed without trying it because it’s been recommended by a chiropractor

“The customer has already done research beforehand, knows more about the product than they used to, and is aware of what they want, but one thing I’ve learned is there is no particular way to work out when the customer is ready to buy a new bed. We sell from plaza stores to people with milk and bread in their trolleys.

GET ON THE CUSTOMER FREEWAY

“I refer to it as customer freeways. Customers gather information, check information and transact, and there are so many lanes. I look at this as a bridge where they have to pay.

“The internet lane has got to be a great experience, then they change lanes to the telephone, then change back to the internet, then go to a bricks and mortar store and pay the toll. But if there are potholes in the lanes, they go to another freeway.

“We’ve got customers who buy beds 100 percent over the phone, through the internet and in stores. We have people who have bought beds without ever trying them because they have been recommended by a chiropractor. We have a range that is probably the most tested in Australia, it’s backed by the Chiropractic Association of Australia.

“Retail is all about making a sale, and it all gets down to giving the customer a great experience.

“The more lanes on the freeway the more likely they are to enter because they have choice; choice of product and choice of channel. Choice is a driver to purchase.”