Harmon’s Grocery Store – Go High Tech

I just got this idea. I wrote about how my favorite grocery store is coming to Farmington next year. When I lived in Oregon I came for a summer to Utah to be a nanny for my sister’s family. She shopped at Harmon’s. So that’s when I first got to know them (that toddler I nannied is now married with a baby of his own).

Harmon’s should go high tech. They should build a cafe with free wifi. I can see the headline: Harmon’s to be the First Grocery Store in Utah to Offer Free Wifi (is that true? it’d be curious if they would be the first). Regardless, it’s a good story to jazz up the grand opening press. People already hang out at Harmon’s. I’ve seen people on dates there. I’ve been on a date there! The deli is great, there are drinks nearby. It’s almost as if I were at Borders!

What Harmon’s needs to do to make this happen is plan to put electrical outlets in the cafe so people can plug in their computers. Advertise it. Then people will come and work there for a few hours. Friends will meet there. The longer they are there the more loyal customers they become. They will go to your store over Smith’s or Target (well, that’s stretching it a little – my husband Stephen loves Target). While there they’ll eat and drink. Plus they will love Harmon’s for providing this great community service.

The next step: a Harmon’s Facebook Fan Page. See this article on how building relationships with customers on Facebook translates into more loyal customers. They are more likely to recommend your business to their friends. The longer they spend engaged with your brand the more likely they are to buy from you also.

Tagged as: Facebook, Grocery store, Utah