Intuitive Retailing…written from the gut!

Written By Ophelia Gamble

Intuitive Retailing is something I was allowed to nurture decades ago at the start of my journey.

I served my apprenticeship at Hilda Hansons, a ladies fashion boutique that really was a hidden gem. My retail voice developed through the absorption of good old fashioned customer service. A time before all the fancy dancy phrases like, nurture sequence, ideal customer and blogging. Still there were rituals, sequences, data capture and follow ups using letter invites, telephone calls, data index cards and intuition.

For the purpose of this ramble I will take intuition.

Intuition=super sales

Giving yourself time to think through the lifestyle your customer has and even the one they are aiming for allows your intuition to fine tune your offering. You will find your regular customers average spend increase if you switch to your gut at some point.

You know when you just know… that’s it right there that’s the super sale. Now to help the intuition along you need data. Capture as much as you can as you start your customer relationships. Where do they work? What hobbies do they have? Roughly how old are they? Family? Friends? Pets? Spare time? Music? Build the picture of your customers, they may be similar or there might be differences. This data will capture your ideal customer profiles.

Knowing this, my retail comrade will help you in every aspect of selling, buying, marketing etc…

So turn up your intuition and start collecting the data too.


Ophelia Gamble

Ophelia has been in the retail industry for over 30 years and knows the sector inside out. She has worked from the ground up and has experience in all aspects of the industry. For years Ophelia has been an observer of the high street decline. In 2011, after a long stint as a business advisor, she launched Ophelia’s Village Market to support existing high streets in the East Midlands to

increase their local footfall and community engagement.

Fast forward to May 2022 and Ophelia has hosted in excess of 500 high street markets and events stretching throughout the UK.

Having worked with many Parish, Town, District and County Councils over the years, Ophelia fashioned her very own special style of delivery. Her business, The Rural Retailer, has successfully been running markets in the East Midlands making sure they are covid compliant and are able to remain open through the most testing of times ever since.

Ophelia’s now, spending most of her working day with place makers in Government and local councils to create actionable strategies that support the UK's retailers, landlords and

communities to have vital & viable high streets once more.

Ophelia has successfully worked with over 1,000 retailers and 600 independent businesses in the last two years, through covid-19s difficult trading landscape and has, engaged and inspired

independent retailers to:

  • level up with their kerb appeal

  • become social on the socials

  • find their passion again

  • get serious about successful retailing

  • set boundaries to maximise time!

  • raise their profile locally

You can count on Ophelia to be 100% by your side.

When not on the high streets of the UK you will find Ophelia

by the sea, probably sipping a Martini on the rocks whilst

collecting sea glass. She loves to paint and de-stresses in the

garden whilst dancing to an eclectic mix of music. Ophelia is

devoted to her family and close friends. Ophelia has a son,

Harry who is her wing man in every adventure that life brings

along. And yes, Ophelia likes Pina Coladas ‘and getting caught

in the rain…..’

SO, OPHELIA IS THE ONE YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IF

YOU WANT TO ESCAPE AND REDESIGN YOUR RETAIL!

https://www.ruralretailer.co.uk
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