Sunday 15 April 2018

I Shopped The World This Week And It Taught Me Something


I bought a watch this week - a not too expensive, particular model of a particular brand.

When my wife complained about spending money (I do have other watches) I explained that I had scored a bargain (I love reversing that common shopping justification).

I had purchased this watch at the best price, not just in Melbourne, not even just in Australia, but at the best price in the whole wide world. I had trolled google, ebay, Amazon, and every other option I could think of, and purchased from a reputable dealer in the US. There was one cheaper price online but I can’t quite shop in Belarus with confidence.

And did I feel guilty for not purchasing from one of the excellent QVM watch sellers? Well, yes, I like to give my business to traders where possible, but this was one item that was not readily available in the market. Of course customers rarely use emotion in their choice of seller.

This little experience got me thinking. What happens when customers search for my products? How do I compare with my worldwide competitors? What point of difference do I offer to meet my customer’s needs? Maybe these are questions we should all be asking.