Debenhams Twitter sale now on
As I write there’s a strange scene unfolding in Debenhams, Oxford St. Several of the staff are glued to smart phones advising customers, also supposedly glued to smartphones, by way of Twitter.
It’s been a while since I was in Debenhams but from what I can remember, the basement men’s department is a labyrinth so on that basis alone, this is a welcome development.
Whether my phone would work in the basement or if they’d be able to help with my typical request ’do you have this shirt in XL’ without being able to see me or the shirt remains uncertain. In any case, I don’t suppose male, iphone toting media bods are their target market.
I suspect their main customer base is not going to be a big user of Twitter either. So why bother? This, like a few other recent campaigns with Twitter elements to them has the whiff of PR opportunism. PRs know journalists love Twitter and just that Debenhams are using it means they’re more likely to write about the sale – like I am here.
Beyond the spin though there’s a chance Twitter could just become the killer channel retailers are looking for to shift large quantities of stock in a wild fire sale. If Lance Armstrong could get 300 cyclists out on a rainy day in Paisley with 2 hours notice I can’t see why Debenhams couldn’t get 3,000 Oxford Street shoppers fighting over their half price handbags.
The rise of discount voucher shopping has been one of the online phenomenons of the recession, Brits love a bargain and Twitter could be the perfect unintrusive channel to light the sale fuse.
There is a real opportunity for retailers to integrate social media into their sales/promotional activities … but this initiative by Debenhams is the sort of superficial PR gimmick that gives social media a bad name
I think there is a real opportunity here. Less for customers actually in store, but more for those deciding whether to come in based on what is on offer, whether your size is in stock etc. I liked it when they were saying they would reserve something, or book you a personal shopper appointment. That is actually quite helpful.