Canadian Retailer - Holiday 2014 - 15

Canada & Great Lakes, puts it, the company's
philosophy around the consumer is "baked in"
to its culture.
"Our customer is more knowledgeable than
ever before," he says. "How we're able to stay
ahead of that is by recognizing that it's really all
about the experience after our customer walks
into our store. And in every store, within every
region across North America, we strive to deliver a great customer experience. All of the pieces
that make up that experience, however, need to
line up to consistently deliver it. For all retailers,
that's one of our greatest opportunities as well
as challenges. We need to continue giving our
customer what they want, where, when and how
they want it. And that requires an important commitment to
employee training and empowerment. We ensure that all of
our associates clearly understand customer needs, and that
everyone throughout the entire organization is rowing in the

ith so many consumer segments to potentially
focus on, kruh singled out two demographics that are arguably most critical to retailers
today: Millennials and baby boomers.
"the Boomers are getting older and have been such a
large contributor to consumer spending in the world for
the last forty years," he points out. "and then we've got
the Millennials who are nine million strong with huge buying power. How do you target these groups and how does
it influence your decision making within your companies?"
Damgaard: "boomers are our biggest consumer segment, but the Millennials are an exciting segment who
create new opportunities because they are dynamic.
they want everything fast, and they change their minds
frequently. they want fresh and new styles all the time.
and they also want comfort, but won't compromise on
quality. you just have to be on top of what they want all
the time, and capture it for your business."
Lennie: "the boomers are one of our largest and most
important customers for us. they represent the largest
percentage of home ownership, possess the
most equity in their homes and are the most
likely to invest. What's interesting, though, is
how the Millennials influence the way boomers research and leverage technology. they
know how to look up a project on youtube
and help their parents develop the knowledge to take on home repair. they are more
comfortable looking at the universe and
researching what options are available to them."
DeFranco: "Millennials are also
unbelievably socially responsible.
the retail brands they shop at are
often an extension of how they

same direction, which helps us maximize all of
the opportunity and potential to surprise and delight every customer."
Being the largest purveyor of home improve-

see themselves and how they live their lives. to connect with them, you need to be relevant to them. being
socially responsible presents a great opportunity to
build a more meaningful relationship with them. a great
example for us is our in-store adoption program which
has helped save the lives of over 170,000 homeless pets
in Canada since 2006."
Watros: "boomers are obviously our bread and butter.
having said that, we're also very focussed on the Millennials. We've gone aggressively after contemporary
products, by partnering with topshop for example, to
become relevant to them. but, what's hot to them today
isn't tomorrow. they're very trendy, and you have to
stay on top of their changing attitudes. We've structured our stores to deliver the experience that each of
our segments is seeking."
goldsmith: "We tend to cater to the boomers but
recognize that over time Millennials present us with an
opportunity. and, to be honest, they both want quality.
the thing that differentiates them is the way they want
to receive that quality. if you know how to merchandise
quality product to them, the way each
want to be merchandised to, then you'll
win over both consumer segments."
Waechter: "Millennials are clearly
a big part of our growing business.
From a product point of view, we
continue to adapt. understanding that
you have to be on trend with them is
critical. and seeking diversity in our
workforce has proven important
as well. having associates that
reflect our customer, who are
our customer, provides a better
opportunity to engage."

from millennials to boomers

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holiday 2014 | canadian retailer

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Canadian Retailer - Holiday 2014

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