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How an IAD agent sold a house stuck for 9 months in under three monthsHow Office notarial 1661 made its sales smoother and safer with a tour of every propertyHow three B&B hotels made transparency their strongest reason to bookHow an all-you-can-eat buffet won 76 booking intentions from its virtual tourHow Pigier Dijon built a recruitment channel viewed more than 79,000 times in three monthsHow the Ville de Labège catalogued more than 80% of its estate in one yearHow Groupe Fournier cut the design of a store from 10 to 4 daysResources
Industry: Commerce de proximité Toulouse and Saint-Orens 2023 Surplus Hector
How Surplus Hector saw its sales rise by 30% after opening its aisles online
Army surplus is something many people know little about. That’s what makes this case so interesting. By making its two stores visitable online, Surplus Hector totalled more than 300,000 views and saw its sales rise by 30%.
- +300,000
- cumulative online views and visits
- +30%
- sales after going online
- 2
- stores captured, in Toulouse and Saint-Orens
‘Army surplus is sometimes poorly understood by people and the general public.’
In brief
- The client
- Surplus Hector, a family business founded in 1998.
- The problem
- A little-known world that was keeping new customers out of the stores.
- The solution
- Virtual tours of both stores, on three channels.
- The result
- More than 300,000 views and visits, 30% more sales and a new, younger customer base.
Context
A family army surplus business since 1998
Surplus Hector is a family business founded in 1998, specialising in professional, military, survival, outdoor and historical reproduction clothing and accessories, a range as broad as it is surprising. The business has two stores (one in Saint-Orens, the other in the heart of Toulouse) and an online shop.
Online, the audience is definitely there: the website ‘gets around 30,000 to 40,000 visits a month’, says Charles, co-manager of the Saint-Orens store and of e-commerce. The paradox was that too few new customers were walking through the stores’ doors.
A little-known world that kept shoppers away
The trade is ‘quite particular’, Charles sums up. It is also sometimes poorly understood by the general public. Many hesitate to make the trip to discover a shop when they don’t know exactly what it sells.
- Few new customers in store: with no idea what awaited them on the shelves, the curious didn’t make the trip.
- An image limited to specialists: part of the public thought the shop was reserved for soldiers and gendarmes.
- A catchment area to widen, to reach beyond the usual customers.
The business wanted to ‘attract new customers and widen their catchment area’.
The solution
Walking the aisles before walking through the door
The project ran in three simple stages. First, a meeting to discuss the brand’s positioning and raise its issues. Then the shoots, in each of the two stores. Finally, using the built-in features, a unique visitor route that reflects the business. The tours were then shared on the website, on social media and on Google Maps. Charles describes the experience as ‘quick, simple and effective’.
Features added to the tour
-
Google publication -
3D dollhouse view
Results
From online curiosity to in-store sales
The figures were reported by the business after both tours went online. The highlight was the new customer base: a younger audience won over by the immersive experience, which partly explains the rise in sales.
+300,000
views and visits
Totalled through sharing on the website, social media and Google Maps.
+30%
sales
Increase in the number of sales recorded after the virtual tours went online.
2
stores captured
Saint-Orens and central Toulouse, each with its own virtual tour.
3 channels
for sharing
The business’s website, social media and Google Maps listing.
Conclusion
An image that finally matches what is really on offer
Every initial obstacle has found its answer. The curious who didn’t make the trip could walk the aisles before coming. Sales rose by 30%. The specialists-only image has faded, as the tour drew in customers who thought the shop was only for soldiers and gendarmes. As for attracting new customers, that took the form of a younger audience, won over by the immersive experience. Charles would recommend easyVirtual.tours for a reason that fits in one sentence.
For raising the profile of businesses and the shops of any company.
Written by
Lou-Anne Feroux
Marketing manager at easyVirtual.tours. She follows what virtual tours actually change for the agencies in the network and for their clients.
More case studies to explore
Château Saint-Joseph · Aude
How a château in the Aude won 32 qualified leads in its first year online
- +32 qualified leads
- 1 in 2 visitors come back
- 40% of in-person visits avoided
Au bout du monde · Mareuil-lès-Meaux
How an all-you-can-eat buffet won 76 booking intentions from its virtual tour
- +76 booking intentions
- 43,000 views in total
- 1 in 4 visitors come back
Office notarial 1661 · Paris 3rd
How Office notarial 1661 made its sales smoother and safer with a tour of every property
- > 88% minimum open rate
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- > once viewed per buyer
Pigier Dijon · Dijon
How Pigier Dijon built a recruitment channel viewed more than 79,000 times in three months
- +79,000 views in total
- +25 enquiries
- 1 in 6 visitors come back
Naka Conseil · Balma
How Naka Conseil received 30 applications from a tour of its offices
- +3,500 views of the tour
- 30 CVs sent from the tour
- ≈ 60% click-through rate
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