Consumers love low prices, but retailers shouldn't overlook the way shoppers perceive value online and in stores.
It might be a retailer's worst nightmare: a consumer stands before a wall of flat-screen TVs, contemplates a purchase, and pulls out a smartphone to see if a better deal is available elsewhere. This increasingly common sight may heighten retailers' fears that they are caught in an inevitable race to the bottom on price. Yet while price competition is tough, consumer research and client experience show that perceptions of value still matter in the ever-more-complex multichannel-retailing environment. Retailers can employ proven tactics to shape perceptions and take advantage of the fact that consumers care about more than just the price tag when they buy.
