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Our local Gander Mountain outdoor sporting goods store hung up this huge sign declaring that they will not be under sold. That is a big and bold statement in my book. I also believe a statement like that is a big attention getter as well. Over the last few months as consumer spending has dropped businesses have taken more creative approaches to gaining new customers, and for good reason.
What Gander Mountain did is said loud and clear we are your cheapest solution in town. They also stated you should come in and see if you can find anything that doesn’t fit that statement. And they did this with a huge sign on the front of their building. They are located right off of the Interstate and a busy overpass. This sign is easily visible to everyone who travels by there.
I am sure the sign will drive a huge number of visitors initially and possible steal some other customers from other sporting good stores in town, but will it last over the long run? I am not sure. Humans are funny creatures in the way we get used to things and rarely like to break away from the familiar.
I remember one time in Los Angeles driving through an intersection and seeing the gas station on the corner with more cars than it can hold. Meanwhile the one directly across the street had none. The crux of it was the empty gas station had much cheaper gas prices. What gives? I have a feeling it was partly due to preference, but more so, convenience. One gas station had an easy in and out for traffic, while the other wasn’t as easy to get to. But what if there were bigger variables at play such as time of day, going to work / coming from work, new and clean vs. not, or any other unseen reason.
Essentially what Gander Mountain is doing is making a statement, hopefully strong enough to make people break away from their life habits. They are challenging and encouraging people to visit their store with a bold declaration that they will find what they were and weren’t looking for cheaper in their store. In the end, I am sure Gander Mountain will make more money from the sign than anything, but only time will tell in the long run.
What are your thoughts?
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I’ve seen signs like this in my city too. I don’t se them not more but I know they are still out there.
It is a good tactic if the place holds true to what they are promoting there. Most places these days will match any stores offer of lower prices.
It is catchy though because it stands out a mile
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I wonder if they match hotel prices. Seriously, I would live at Gander Mountain of Cabelas if they would let me.
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@BigPappa, I know exactly what you mean. My favorite is Sportsman Warehouse. It is more geared towards just outdoors (camping, kayaking, backpacking) vs hunting and fishing.
I think as you said time will tell - I don’t know if it would make me go there or not - I’m sadly one of those people who is programmed to go to wal-mart for everything…and unless it’s something I need instantly I may be tempted to just get it online…
The problem with using price to differentiate your product or store is that someone else is always willing to go a bit lower until neither of you are making a profit.
It’s more effective to differentiate based on you unique selling proposition. Positioning your product or store by distinct advantages for your customers builds a better brand and a more loyal customer base.
@Linda, I agree that basing your value on product price vs. an experience or service level is asking for trouble in the long run.
Linda makes a great point. Companies that attempt to differentiate themselves by price set an entirely different standard for themselves then do companies who use another means, such as customer service for example. From a consumers standpoint, a sign like this may draw me into the store initially, and most likely only if I was actively looking for a product that I knew they may carry. But thinking long term, what’s ultimately important? What is going to keep me coming back after my initial visit? I guarantee that if price is the only one up they offer, I won’t be coming back. In my opinion, these types of signs are no longer effective, and in a sense undermine the true value of a company.
Did you see that Adam Sandler movie Don’t Mess With the Zohan? There was this store as part of the story that had a permanent “Going Out of Business Sale” sign because it was good for business and people thought they were getting a deal. Was pretty funny.
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easy ways to make money…
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With the huge size banner and such a statement, it will surely get people’s attention. I will have a look inside if I ever involve in any outdoor sport (which is impossible
)
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size of banner does matter, I was told by a restaurant worker that they will have the big crab sign saying that they have crab available.
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Heh? Do they need to do so?
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