As temperatures in the UK soar, so has the opportunity for retailers to raise their consumer engagement.

During an unseasonably cool May, UK footwear and fashion sales wilted against strong performances in May 2014, with many consumers holding off from updating their summer wardrobe until the weather had improved. In a bid to boost consumer engagement many retailers stretched out their summer sale events and deepened discounts in a bid to entice consumers from pavement to payment.

Though retailers can’t control the weather, they can forecast it and use targeted campaigns and retail intelligence to impact shopper habits and drive consumer engagement.

Aware that the sun will bring out the shoppers as they stock up on items such as light clothing, sun cream and fans; Boots, Marks & Spencer and Homebase are just a few of the retailers who have sent targeted emails to customers in a bid to optimise consumer activity.

Hooray the sun is here!

 

Feeling hot? Summer heat essentials for your home and garden

For those too hot to venture out to the shops, online retailers Very and eBay have kicked off location triggered campaigns.

Hot Deals for Hot Days

eBay knows that its customers “love great value and selection” so have focused on growing their Deals business to deliver “what shoppers want most.” This level of customer engagement will be amplified by the launch of the retailer’s latest campaign: “Hot Deals for Hot Days” where by summer essentials will be discounted as hot as the forecasted temperature on the day of purchase. If it’s 80 degrees, shoppers will receive an 80% discount off a host of summer items from leading brands.

Online fashion retailer Very has also kicked off a location-triggered mobile campaign that suggests particular items of clothing or accessories based on the weather. Shoppers need not opt in – when someone clicks on an ad, it will pick up the location of the user, update them about the weather in their area and promote specific items.

Best Served with Sunglasses

Diageo too, tapped into thermal activation in May for its Pimm’s brand following consumer research indicating that their media is more effective and more efficient if linked to sunny weather. This resulted in the ‘Best Served with Sunglasses’ campaign that activated on digital OOH sites once the weather reaches 21 degrees.

With brands actively ramping up their consumer engagement it will be interesting to see retail results for June and July despite a disappointing start to the summer.

We have expertise in influencing shoppers to act. Contact us find out what we can do for your brand.

Jemma, Jnr. Account Manager