Store of the month: Nicco
2021-07-06
If you visit Halmstad this summer, you must not miss the store Nicco, a favorite among Hamlstad residents for a long time. With personal service and with new ideas, new generations continue to find their way to Nicco!
Hi Lena, tell us about Nicco!
“We are a multi-brand store, with clothes, shoes and accessories, also some licorice and home furnishings. We started in 1982, so next year is the 40th anniversary! It was me and my mother who started the store, she unfortunately passed away early in cancer, I have run the store myself since 2000. I have been fortunate to have fantastic employees who have stayed for a long time, which is also a security for the customers and I am very grateful for that. The store is 450 sqm large, we have it divided into a department for men and one for women. We have customers of all ages, the youngest being 15-16 and then up to 90 years old. Above all, we offer personal service, pre-booked shopping and store events. We also sell some profile clothing. No customer is too small to be taken care of in the way that suits them best. We are flexible and put the customer first. We want customers to be happy and satisfied when they walk out the door.”
What is the most fun about running a store?
“Customer relationships and new challenges all the time, there is a big change in buying behavior right now and it is important to keep up. The pandemic has also, after a short time of almost being paralyzed and afraid not to survive, made us toughen up and helped us to think new.”
A little bird whispered in our ear that you are very good at long-term customer relationships, what is the secret?
“To be able to imagine how the customer thinks and service, we make simple changes to clothing item in store, so we can usually fix a pair of pants that need to be sewn up the same day. We try to make sure that everyone is happy, our coffee machine is usually used by someone who came along to give taste advice (a spouse for example) and we have a play corner for the smaller children, so parents can shop in peace. Above all that, all customers are equally important.”
Halmstad is a summer city, how do you work to get a customer flow at other times of the year?
“Halmstad has 100,000 inhabitants, so it is not something we immediately think about. Halmstad residents are our most loyal customers and those who make the business go round. Then it is always nice with the summer guests which means that the month of July is always at the top of the sales statistics, but it’s just a month.”
What is the main challenge of running a store today and how do you overcome it?
“Right now it’s still a pandemic and it’s hard to reach customers. We work hard with social media, fashion shows online and small pre-booked shopping events. We have a customer register with 6000 customers, so we send text messages and e-mails a lot. We want to stand strong and be a safe alternative to customers when the pandemic is over.”
What do you think the store of the future will look like?
“It feels like customers are coming back to the physical store, you are a little tired of sitting at home and clicking home goods after a year of isolation. I think you need to review the technology, it should be easy to shop and pay with different methods. The physical store and online shopping will flow together a little more, if you are in the store you want to be able to choose the same payment methods as online and maybe also choose return option. I think you have to have a good website as an option in the store of the future.”
