5 Ways to Fight Showrooming Frustration

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5 Ways to Fight Showrooming Frustration

A Distributor Channel Marketing Moment

By Desiree Grace

 

Showrooming – the ultimate time-waster and frustration-factor.

It’s a battle out there. Customers arrive, get you excited, then leave. It’s worse than seagull management, you know, those folks who fly in, drop a lot of sh—, then leave. Showrooming customers are a close relative of that pesky bird.

Surely, you’ve heard of Showrooming. This variety of birds is the annoying customers who waste your time in the showroom or counter. They suck up an hour from your lighting specialist, then buy the product online because someone is selling it for a few dollars less. They walk out smiling AFTER getting educated by your specialist or salesperson.

The good news is you’re not stuck. There ARE ways to prevent this. Savvy retailers, like industrial distributors with counters or showrooms, are smarter than the average bird. These strategies work. You have options with successful track records.

  1. Increase Exclusive Products and Services. If customers can get the exact same thing online, they will. Offer unique products they can’t easily find elsewhere and pair them with services the internet simply can’t deliver: assembly, delivery, configuration, troubleshooting, or other value‑added product-service combinations that make buying from you the obvious choice. Exclusivity isn’t a luxury anymore; it’s survival.

  2. Create bundles. Take those exclusive items and build kits. Create bundles that solve problems before customers even realize they have them. Who doesn’t love a thoughtful salesperson who reminds customers to buy the pulling lube or the switch plate covers? They will thank you when they have the right accessories late at night on a jobsite. Bundles ultimately make you look smarter and make the customer’s life easier. Sounds like a win-win.

  3. Enhance the In-Person Experience. Don’t make the counter experience feel like a transaction, make it a destination. Provide personalized services, expert advice, and engaging demonstrations to build customer loyalty and add value. Cut wire to length on the spot and offer contractor education to keep them coming back. This is something the internet cannot offer!

  4. Use Interactive Technology.  QR codes and social media stations will engage shoppers and reduce showrooming. Show off those fantastic 5-star ratings to your in-house shoppers. Highlight your expertise. Better yet, offer an omnichannel experience so customers can shop in person AND online, including your app. Don’t have an app? Get one.

  5. Educate customers. What if your customers don’t understand how showrooming affects business? Make sure they know why shopping locally matters. Supporting local businesses contributes to local jobs and community involvement.

Combine these strategies, reduce showrooming, and keep the customers buying from you. When you provide a positive in-person experience, your sales will increase, your customers will be satisfied, and, better yet, they will return. This time, they’ll drop money, not their SH__.

 

If you’re struggling to keep customers in your space, you’re not alone. River Heights Consulting helps companies create an in‑person experience that actually makes people want to stay. We’ll help you win the battle for customers, as well as the war. No shi—ing.


TL;DR

Showrooming drains time and profit. Use exclusives, bundles, better in‑person experiences, interactive tech, and customer education to keep buyers with you instead of losing them online.



About the Author
Desiree Grace is a distribution veteran who tells the truth, even when it ruffles a few feathers.
She helps teams create better customer experiences and sharpen their sales strategies. Her mix of realism and practical coaching helps organizations rise above the flock and win more business without excuses.






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