Lisa Carter – The importance of the upsell

Simon: I love the idea of it being … I guess that’s if you’re trying to sell stuff, having it as a set of things. Here’s a bag and here’s a hat and here’s the gloves and … it makes sense to show off everything you’ve got there.

Lisa: Yeah, ‘cos I worked for Russell and Bromley in the years to come on their shop floor and learnt a lot about upselling and how important it is to do the complete look, and we were not allowed to bring out a pair of shoes without the matching handbag.

Simon: Oh wow.

Lisa: We got reprimanded by the Managers if we were ever seen leaving the Stock Room without an alternative two pairs of shoes that had a very similar look to the ones that they’d asked for and the matching handbag, to the point where customers would say to me, “I just want the shoes, don’t bring me the handbag” and I’d be like, “Yeah, yeah, sure, sure” and I’d come out with a handbag (laughs) and just look at them going like ‘you don’t understand it’s not my jobs worth to not bring out the handbag. I was like, “We’ll just put the handbag here.”

Simon: They were well versed in the experience.

Lisa: They were. They used to get so cross (laughs). But that was the thing, the shoes, the handbag, it was a set. And also, I think some people, they don’t feel confident putting outfits together and I think it’s easier to just shop the entire look and just buy the whole thing. You know it all goes together and that’s your outfit done. I think perhaps like the old-fashioned way of shopping was like that, that you didn’t have to be creative yourself, you just bought the look, whereas nowadays it’s completely different isn’t it?