Finally, some positive news: households are now three times less likely to be the victim of burglary, writes LISA RICHARDSON, Brand Manager at Kasp Security. Here Lisa looks at how locksmiths can capture increased business as a result of consumers’ improved attitude to home security.
Despite the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW 11/12) reporting that burglary still accounts for a substantial 81%
of all recorded crime, the percentage of households that have been victims of burglary is now two in 100, compared with six in 100 households in 1995. The CSEW accredits this with homeowners becoming much savvier to deterrents, and thus significantly increasing their levels of home security.
But burglary being on the decline – thanks, in part, to consumers’ increased precautions – opportunist thieves are still very much active. And don’t be fooled that our lighter summer evenings would keep burglars at bay, on
the contrary. Burglaries from garden sheds and conservatories can increase by 25% during the summer months, heightened by the fact that almost half of homeowners admitted to never locking outbuildings.
Although it is of course, encouraging that consumers are starting to take direct action to prevent burglary, independent research into consumers’ attitudes and behaviour to security reveals that they still have relatively little understanding of security products such as padlocks, hasps and alarms. This provides a very real opportunity for locksmiths, who, with the right products and clever merchandising, could achieve impressive sales.
The psychology of merchandising and customer habits is not to be sniffed at. Perfect product positioning, the correct use of colour and modern, well-presented merchandising units all act to manipulate customer’s buying decisions.
Colour me happy
Visibility is key. Using colour in-store is an effective but simple way to persuade consumers to buy. It draws their attention toparticular products and can inspire them to make a purchase.
A merchandiser should not just be a means for hanging stock, but should act as an effective in-store marketing structure, to sell stock and perform the role of a silent salesperson. To appeal to customers, locksmiths should incorporate attractive, modern merchandisers that are bright, colourful, well lit and clearly visible, as these will naturally attract the most attention, encourage purchases and aid in reassuring consumers that the product is of good
quality.
At Kasp, for instance, we support our locksmiths with progressive and eye-catching display units, created to maximise impact in-store, helping generate sell-through for locksmiths and bolster sales. The striking merchandising range is available to suit all sizes of stockists and includes an attention-grabbing 1m unit with illuminated Kasp header and fitted down-lighters, a freestanding 30” unit for easy positioning in hot spot areas, a convenient slat wall POS pack for slat wall fitted stores, a 22” display panel for wall mounting, and a practical counter top merchandiser aimed at encouraging impulse sales at the point of purchase. This flexibility allows the range to fit in with any merchandising plan, and can be positioned exactly where customers just can’t miss them.
Continued support
Product awareness is imperative to both educate the consumer and to drive sales. The more knowledgeable locksmiths are about a line of products, the more effective they will be in selling it.
When it comes to padlocks for example, locksmiths should be aware of basic product information such as features and benefits, recommended applications and differences in locking mechanisms. Although all padlocks may appear fairly similar to the uneducated eye, locksmiths will know that there are vast differences in their capabilities and applications, and these should be explained to the customer so that they can make an informed purchase.
Kasp offers an extensive range of award-winning, durable security solutions, competitively priced and all designed to deter opportunist thieves.
In further support of our locksmiths, Kasp also provides top tips on how to secure home and property simply and effectively on its website, www.kaspsecurity.com
Following the basic principles of merchandising could increase those all-important incremental sales impacting positively on a locksmith’s bottom line. Ultimately, security suppliers and locksmiths must work together to offer the best deals possible and to promote the sale of security products at a time when they are undoubtedly in demand.
