Second home owners have an ongoing relationship with a property, a place and local suppliers. Cornwall retailers can serve them well by reducing the difficulty of choosing, coordinating and buying when the customer is not always in the county.
Start with the property need
Customers may need furniture, flooring, lighting, homeware or seasonal replacements. Build content around the project, delivery constraint and service required rather than a vague idea of affluence.
Make remote confidence visible
Explain how advice, samples, measurements, specifications, delivery and access are handled. Show what can be decided remotely and what is better completed in store.
Stay useful between visits
A customer may research before travelling and complete a purchase after returning elsewhere. Product pages, saved selections and reliable follow up allow the decision to continue.
Use relevance instead of assumptions
A postcode or property label does not reveal taste, budget or intent. Use the product need, service area and customer behaviour to shape communication.
Build local partnerships carefully
Property managers, designers and trades may support the same customers. A partnership should be useful, transparent and based on clear service standards.
Make the service easy from elsewhere
- Offer a clear advice route.
- Set realistic lead times.
- Explain access and delivery.
- Use approved project evidence.
- Keep one contact for considered purchases where possible.
The guide to joining up a Cornwall shop and ecommerce site shows how to keep the journey consistent.
The Kitchen Kit case study illustrates how a digital showroom can support a considered local purchase.
Read how to turn local searches into store visits.
Frequently asked questions
Should second home owners receive different prices?
Price the product and service clearly for every customer. Additional coordination or delivery work can be explained and priced transparently.
Which channel reaches second home owners best?
There is no single channel. Search captures active needs, useful content supports research and email can support an existing relationship.
Make local service work from anywhere
This article is part of Casale’s Marketing to Cornwall series. Ask Casale to develop a year round retail plan.