The retail industry is seeing the “millennial” customer become more engaged with retailers. The challenge we all have is how to we communicate with this new consumer and get them to visit our business before they visit our competitors.

These 14 to 33-year-old consumers are now moving into apartments and new houses and are looking for inspiration to make these homes and lifestyles more unique. Compared to the more senior customers, they are more distrusting of company advertising, are wary of in-house marketing and engage with each other and businesses in a different way.

More research is coming out on what this consumer is looking for and a report published in the Independent Newspaper in the UK was most encouraging as it indicated these consumers are looking to enhance their environment and restaurants; dining and gardening are in their top five activities, with an increased spend over the past 12 months.

What worked in the past to attract new customers will definitely not work in the future.

According to research carried out by Melissa Hoffman and reported in Adweek on August 15, 2014, the “millennials”, who now comprise 27 per cent of the American market, check their smart phone on average 43 times a day and use four or more devices.

The research revealed 66 per cent of people ask a friend, 59 per cent ask a partner and 37 per cent ask their parents before purchasing; 93 per cent buy based on one of these endorsements. Of these communications, 41 per cent took place via social media and 59 per cent were face-to-face.

The good news is research in the US indicates “millennials” would rather shop with a local independent business than larger global “shed” type businesses. This being said, those independent businesses still must relate to millennials if they are to attract them to their offer.

There are numerous ways we can attract those consumers as long as we remember that the method we use is not one many of us are used to. It is time to think outside the box or simply throw the box away.

Who’s your “scumbag”?

It is accepted this generation does not trust traditional marketing techniques; one survey indicated 80 per cent of them distrusted advertising by businesses. They rely on their peers to make recommendations and the key to success is to influence their peers and let them do the marketing for them.

It is accepted this generation does not trust traditional marketing techniques; one survey indicated 80 per cent of them distrusted advertising by businesses. They rely on their peers to make recommendations and the key to success is to influence their peers and let them do the marketing for them.

A retail sector needs to develop an advocate who is not a team member, but rather is promoting products and services to their peers both in social media and traditional marketing techniques and is an advocate of the business.

The retailer can gift a product to the advocate on the understanding they will discuss the product in their communications channels. In many retailer sectors this has become a major marketing technique and an ideal vehicle for this type of marketing.

Are your customers taking “selfies”?

There was a huge amount of publicity when the Queen was seen in a selfie at the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The Pope and politicians around the world have also been known to get involved in selfies.

Whether selfies are a fad or a trend is hard to tell, but take a walk around any major tourist venue and you will see tourists taking photos of themselves near major tourist icons.

Selfies are an ideal way of promoting a new product and could be used by a manufacturer or retailer to promote to the younger generation.

They can make a pizza… can they make what you sell?

Domino Pizza have gained market share in recent years by developing a number of creative marketing strategies. One of them is the phone app, Pizza Hero, allowing the user to design their own pizza and then get the local Domino Pizza outlet to make it and deliver it to them.

If other friends through social media also order this unique pizza, the company pays the inventor a commission. This personalises the whole marketing environment and empowers the consumer.

The same principle applies in other retail sectors. Phone apps are now available to design your own container or vegetable garden, room layout, painting scheme and so on.

The new consumer wants to engage with their local retailer and looks for retailers who communicate in the same way they do. It is time to throw away some of the old ideas and engage with new ways to attract the consumer.