Golf Mill Tries To Lure Online Shoppers

During the just-ended holiday season, shoppers flocked to for gifts, meals, photos with Santa, movies, and of course, sales and bargains.

But national trends indicated that online shopping was up a whopping 15 percent this year over last year, according to ComScore. In brick and mortar stores, sales were up only 3.3 percent in stores open more than a year, according to Thomson Reuters. Across the nation, online merchants tout their convenience, while land-based stores laud the fact customers can see, touch and try on merchandise.

"These are national trends, though I do see them playing out in Niles," said Denise McCreery, who was the village of Niles' business and marketing coordinator through last week.

Earlier:

Merging store and online buying experience

Some brick and mortar retailers are embracing e-commerce, she said, citing as an example of one retailer which sends out frequent emails publicizing its sales.

Other retailers are bridging the gap between real-life shopping and online buying by putting computer kiosks right on the sales floor, so that if the store is out of a certain size or color, customers can order it immediately and get it shipped to their homes, McCreery said. She expects to see more of this in the future.

Monika Kalicki, Golf Mill's marketing manager, said both and have in-store kiosks.

Kohl's located one of its kiosks in the men's department and one in the home department.

"They do pretty good business for us, and people love it. We get a lot of really good feedback," said Mike, a store manager who said corporate policy prohibited him from giving his last name.

Big e-tailers, small retailers

However, while those two companies — in addition to the mall's other anchors, and — have a well-established online presence, the mall's smaller stores may not.

"We have many mom and pop shops as well, and to compare the two is a little difficult," Kalicki said.

It's an experience

Kalicki maintained many shoppers flocked to the mall simply because they like seeing the merchandise, interacting with human beings and enjoying the experience of shopping using their five senses.

"We're noting a trend: people come here for the social interaction," she said. "People want to talk with the clerks, try on jewelry, smell the perfume, or try out a piece of furniture, if they're buying a couch, let's say."

A lot of local shoppers get to know the store clerks, become friendly with them and come back to shop again and again, she observed.

McCreery echoed that thought.

"People still need social interaction," she said. "They call it a shopping experience because it's an experience."

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