Mr. Bricolage Bulgaria, a leading DIY retailer, is on a mission to understand and adapt to changing consumer behaviors. In an interview with iPaper’s journalist, Rebecca Wine, Magdalena Kotupova, Marketing Director at Mr. Bricolage, delved into the challenges faced by the company and the pivotal role of omnichannel strategies, particularly focusing on the significance of digital catalogs in shaping their future.

Customer-Centric Marketing Strategies‍

Magdalena emphasizes their strategic, customer-centric focus, with the aim to be a reliable partner in their home improvement projects. Their commitment revolves around ensuring customers enjoy a comfortable and economical lifestyle, “we aim to be their consultant and partner in DIY and home improvement projects. All our developments are based on this commitment.”

Evolution of Mr. Bricolage’s Online Store

‍The evolution of Mr. Bricolage's website from an informational hub to a fully-fledged online store reflects their dedication to adapt to modern consumer preferences. Over the years, the platform has undergone significant improvements, culminating in a seamless online shopping experience for customers.

“We have had the website for 10 to 12 years. Initially, it was basic and inflexible, with data only updated once per midnight, often making stock information irrelevant. It was mainly informational.

About five or six years ago, we launched the online store. By the time the COVID-19 pandemic started, our platform had improved significantly, which helped us a lot. But we remained committed to using the website as the primary informational tool for our customers.”

Understanding their DIY Customer Journey‍

Magdalena sheds light on the DIY customer journey, where online research precedes in-store visits: around 80% of customers seek information online before heading to physical stores. For this reason, Mr. Bricolage prioritizes accurate and detailed online information to drive sales both online and offline.

Magdalena explains that “in the DIY retail sector, online sales are limited because customers prefer to physically examine products before purchasing. They want to see if a tool is comfortable, heavy, or light, or if a curtain's color matches what they saw online. Therefore, having detailed information on our website is essential to drive traffic both to our physical stores and online sales.”

‍Boosting Click and Collect Sales‍

The implementation of an enhanced checkout process has significantly enhanced the click-and-collect experience. The result is  a notable increase in its usage. This integration of digital and physical channels underscores Mr. Bricolage's commitment to providing convenience and flexibility to customers.

“In just three months since the upgrade, the share of click and collect in online sales has doubled from 15% to nearly 30%. This shows our interconnection with physical stores. Although we prefer higher online sales without store visits, this is our current situation: customers often find it easier to choose products online and pick them up in-store, saving time.”

Improving Targeted Marketing

‍While Mr. Bricolage has a robust client base, Magdalena acknowledges the need for improvement in marketing and communication strategies. “Currently, our approach is broad and not well-targeted. Our future plan is to focus more on targeted communication across all channels.”

The implementation of more targeted communication across all channels, includes reducing their reliance on paper leaflets, which remains a key focus. “Right now, promotional leaflets and TV ads have the highest budget and share in our marketing strategy. We aim to increase digital communication and reduce the number of paper leaflets for greater sustainability and targeting.”

The Growing Importance of the Digital Catalog

‍The transition towards digital catalogs aligns with the changing preferences of customers, offering greater flexibility, interactivity, and personalization. By leveraging digital tools, Mr. Bricolage aims to provide tailored content that resonates with individual customer interests.

“We're transitioning towards digital leaflets to better target customers, though we're doing so gradually. We introduced digital leaflets with iPaper about six years ago, in 2018. Initially, users could browse through the catalog pages online, providing a similar experience to the paper version. Later, we added features like clicking on products to view their details and eventually enabled online purchases directly from the leaflet. Now, customers can quickly access their shopping carts with just one click, making their shopping experience faster and more convenient.”

The Future of Automation and Personalized Marketing

‍Magdalena envisions a future where automation plays a significant role in delivering personalized content efficiently. As the retail landscape continues to evolve, Mr. Bricolage remains committed to streamlining processes, offering valuable content, and delivering solutions that cater to the diverse needs of their customers.

“While complete automation may not be feasible, I envision a more automated system for matching our offers and proposals with individual customer interests. This would involve leveraging data on both our offerings and customer preferences to deliver personalized content more efficiently. I believe such a system could be achievable within the next four to five years.”

Mr. Bricolage’s Omnichannel Success

‍Mr. Bricolage's journey underscores the importance of embracing omnichannel strategies in meeting the evolving needs of customers. By leveraging digital innovation and targeted communication, Mr. Bricolage is poised to thrive in the dynamic retail landscape, ensuring a seamless and personalized experience for customers across all touchpoints.