Best Shopping Experience
Tourism and shopping naturally have common linkages - both are leisure activities. It is one of the most common motivations for travel decisions and is actually the principal and most common activity taken by tourists. This Scottish Thistle Award recognises our retailing heroes of Scottish Tourism who are contributing such a great deal to the experience of our domestic and international visitors.
This category celebrates the finest examples of Scotland’s renowned reputation for exemplary service for the customer. For retail businesses that demonstrate exemplary levels of customer service and satisfaction. Who recognise the value of the tourist £ and make particular efforts to maximize the business benefits; go the extra mile to provide an innovative retail experience to their visiting customers while providing friendly accessible facilities.
Any retail business in Scotland who has visitors, from home or abroad, as a significant part of their customer profile. Businesses of all sizes and across the length and breadth of Scotland: From high street retailers, department stores and specialty shops to small rural businesses, mill shops and visitor attraction or accommodation retail outlets. Mill shops and visitor attractions or accommodation retula outlets
Evidence of innovation in the retail experience, company focus on provision of customer care and how this is measured. Understanding of our visitors expectations and how these expectations are exceeded. Demonstrate an understanding of sustainability and how it is implemented. Any links with destination and/or Scottish manufacturers if appropriate to the business. How the business is successfully marketed to our visitors.
Entry Information
- How do tourism visitors fit into your customer profile? Did your business seek to create or satisfy demand from visitors to your locale? Please provide evidence to support your answer. (10 points)
- How do you market your products and services to visitors? Do you conduct research to ascertain a tourism customer profile i.e. % of international visitors? Do you do any joint marketing with other suppliers or the area as a destination? Please provide evidence to support your answer. (10 points)
- What are your measurements for success? How do you evaluate return on investment? What resources have you allocated? How do you gather and use customer feedback? Please provide evidence to support your answer. (10 points)
- How does your business draw upon local resources to enhance the visitor experience? Outline how you have created links and established relationships with the destination and with Scottish and local suppliers. (10 points)
- How have you utilised your results to invest in and develop innovation for your business? What steps are you taking to improve your business in order to deliver better shopping experiences for your customers? How do your facilities cater for the needs of your customers? (10 points)
