Introduction
Guardian is a member of the DFI Retail Group and is a significant player in the Asian retail scene. It operates in 11 markets and offers an assortment of products under its well-known brands (Thanh Tu, 2023; Guardian, 2023). Guardian Vietnam has undergone many changes since June 2019 under the leadership of Ms Le Huynh Phuong Thuc, its CEO (Thanh Tu, 2023).
The company has also introduced Tornado+ stores, which offer larger spaces, creating a more modern shopping experience. Guardian is present in various locations, such as Ho Chi Minh City, Vung Tau, Bien Hoa, Danang, and Hanoi, through more than 120 outlets practicing an omnichannel approach by merging offline and online shopping channels(Thanh Tu, 2023). This analysis of the client audience is intended to form high-quality recommendations for the company’s further actions.
In line with the company’s massification policy, Guardian strives to establish trust and closeness among a broad range of clients, including people on the go, homemakers, and an increasing number of young men. The company works with brands or suppliers to introduce a “price stabilization” program that can be sustained over three months while featuring at least 300 items at all times (Similarweb, 2023).
It is about ensuring high-quality labor market rates that remain stable over time across the company’s sales processes. Guardian has a website and app so customers can shop online at their convenience. In addition to Shopee, Lazada, TikTok, and GrabMart, Guardian Vietnam has also expanded its presence through other popular online marketplaces.
Customer Profiles
While recognizing that its stores are located in different geographical areas, Guardian aims its marketing at people living in both urban and suburban areas. Thus, the company is a multi-demographic brand that ranges from working-class professionals on the go to stay-at-home moms focused on their families’ welfare. Additionally, targeting young consumers reflects the Guardian’s adaptability to changing market dynamics and the rising self-care lifestyle among the youth (Figure 1). Site visits over the past three months have reached 333,000, a high level (Figure 2). Recognizing brand loyalty, occasional shoppers, and the growing trend of online shoppers allows Guardian to tailor its marketing and promotional strategies.
Figure 1 – General Segments
Guardian is a client firm involved in the business-to-consumer (B2C) sector. Its general target customers include individuals who buy health, beauty, and personal care products. These urbanites and suburban residents live in strategic areas such as Da Nang City, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Bien Hoa, and Vung Tau (Thanh Tu, 2023). In a B2C focus, trust-building through proximity is more important than ever to deliver personalized experiences that cater to individual customers’ varying wants in today’s dynamic Vietnamese retail environment.
Potential Sub-Segment
Though Guardian targets many sub-segments, young consumers are among its most prospective and potentially lucrative groups. This makes this sub-segment more desirable to the company and aligns it with several different factors(Suh and Chow, 2021). Young consumers tend to be more inclined towards beauty products and cosmetics experimentation, enabling them to express themselves or follow the latest trends (Figure 3). Although they may have little disposable income at present, it will build up with time, leading to long-term customer loyalty.
Figure 3 Specific Sub-Segment
Current Customer Journey
McKinsey Customer Journey Model
Guardian’s journey begins when customers become aware of it through channels such as traditional advertising, social media, and online platforms. It is a positioning strategy designed to make the company a well-known health and beauty retailer in the minds of potential consumers. This initial part is crucial for shaping perceptions and stimulating interest (Berman, 2020). When customers enter the active evaluation phase, Guardian provides abundant information and opportunities to engage.
To transition from active evaluation to purchase, Guardian ensures a seamless, convenient shopping experience. The Tornado+ retail format, introduced in 2021, provides a better store experience by offering a modern retail space during purchase occasions (Thanh Tu, 2023). Guardian sees this stage as an opportunity for cementing customer satisfaction and loyalty after sales, which the company has recognized as a means of reinforcing customer satisfaction levels. The final aspects of the customer journey focus on building loyalty and fostering advocacy. By applying its approach, Guardian transforms satisfied clients into brand advocates for various reasons within this period.
5As Model
Awareness
The journey often begins when customers become aware of Guardian through various touchpoints, including traditional marketing, online advertising, and word of mouth. The brand also focuses on its physical store presence, e-commerce platforms, and collaborations with e-commerce giants such as Shopee and Lazada to increase its visibility (Ye et al., 2019; Thanh Tu, 2023). Potential customers are attracted to the brand through engaging campaigns and promotions.
Appeal
Following awareness, Guardian seeks to appeal to customers by highlighting its diverse range of health and beauty products. This includes showcasing the quality of offerings, emphasizing the advantages of private-label brands, and promoting exclusive deals (Thanh Tu, 2023). The company’s distinct orange-white branding ensures a consistent, visually appealing experience across both physical and online channels.
Ask
The company ensures that its customers can make informed decisions through well-trained clerks in its physical stores and responsive online customer care (Similarweb, 2023). To foster trustworthiness and reliability, the Guardian app and website serve as platforms where clients can find information, read product reviews, and engage with the brand.
Act
The “Act” stage comprises purchasing. Through user-friendly online platforms and its physical stores, Guardian provides a seamless shopping experience for consumers. Introduced in 2021, the Tornado+ store concept enhances the in-store experience, creating a modern, spacious environment for all customers(Thanh Tu, 2023). An app or website created by this seller online features high conversion rates, easy navigation, product selection, and secure payment options.
Advocate
After a customer makes a purchase, the goal is to transform them into advocates who will promote the organization. Satisfied customers are encouraged to share their experiences through social media reviews or word of mouth. The brand’s massification strategy, aided by “price stabilization” programs, stimulates repeat business and thereby fosters customer loyalty (Similarweb, 2023). These loyal buyers then become Guardian’s brand champions, tasked with promoting the company among their peers.
Customer Touchpoints
The mobile application is one of the digital platforms that make up a significant part of the customer journey at Guardian Vietnam. As one of the touchpoints, the Guardian app ensures customers have a seamless, interactive experience in their pursuit of health and beauty products. It provides customers with a user-friendly interface for easy navigation through featured products and promotions, as well as personalized recommendations for potential consumers at the Initial Consideration stage.
In light of this, its layout and design are user-friendly, enhancing the visual appeal and the informative opening of Guardian’s product line (Similarweb, 2023). At this point, the app transforms into a trustworthy source of product details during Active Evaluation. For instance, through well-thought-out categories and search capabilities, customers can browse the extensive range of health and beauty items available on our website.
Moreover, at the Moment of Purchase, the Guardian App offers secure payment options, including delivery methods. This touchpoint ensures a smooth transition from consideration to conversion, improving the overall customer experience. Notwithstanding, the app offers incentives, such as loyalty programs and exclusive promotions, to motivate repeat purchases and build strong brand loyalty (Chen et al., 2021). Finally, in the “Post-Purchase Experience” stage, the Guardian App maintains interest via features like shipment tracking, purchase history-based recommendations, and timely notifications.
Recommended Improvements
The Initial Consideration phase is where the new journey starts. Guardian Vietnam will run targeted app promotion campaigns through social media, influencers, and online advertising channels to increase awareness and drive app downloads. The app’s onboarding process will be redesigned for simplicity, with an interactive tutorial to guide users to critical features. This visual introduction is intended to captivate the audience with Guardian’s diverse health and beauty offerings (Similarweb, 2023).
The Active Evaluation phase should be built upon by the Guardian app, using innovative product exploration techniques. AI-driven personalized recommendations will help users navigate through a vast catalog based on their past purchases and browsing history. Integration of virtual try-on functions that allow customers to virtually apply cosmetic and skincare products before buying them. Such a personalized approach helps make decisions and provides an exclusive, enjoyable experience of browsing the Guardian’s offerings.
The Guardian app will introduce a virtual consultation platform during the Active Evaluation stage to simulate the in-store experience. Beauty experts can engage with users via live chats for personalized skincare routines and video content for beauty tutorials. Moreover, this touchpoint adds value by providing professional advice while simultaneously enhancing direct, meaningful relationships with consumers, thereby fostering trust and loyalty towards the brand (Kokins et al., 2021).
The moment of Purchase has been declared as the primary focus of the Guardian App, which aims to simplify the transaction process. It can also ensure a frictionless experience when integrated with widely used secure payment methods and a one-click checkout feature. Additionally, loyalty programs will be seamlessly integrated into the application to offer exclusive discounts, early-access promotions, and personalized rewards based on user behavior (Kokins et al., 2021). This kind of integration keeps people buying from the store again and strengthens the bond between them and the brand.
This Guardian App focuses on improving features that keep customers informed and engaged in its post-purchase experience. Transparency and accountability are achieved through real-time order tracking, delivery notifications, and post-delivery feedback prompts (Lundin and Kindström, 2023). Also, the app will use push notifications to deliver personalized product replenishment reminders, ensuring customers never run out of their favorite items. An additional social sharing feature is added to encourage customers to post their purchases on social media, thereby turning them into brand advocates.
The Guardian app goes beyond traditional touchpoints by introducing a community-building feature to create a sense of belonging among users. Customers can share their thoughts through a dedicated section for user-generated content, reviews, and beauty tips (Lundin and Kindström, 2023). Guardian will feature user-generated content, respond to queries, and organize virtual events within the community. This touchpoint enhances the “Post-Purchase Experience” and fosters loyalty within an engaged customer community.
It is also a personalized point of contact in its own right, with the user’s data guiding individual experiences. As demand for interactive, personalized shopping rises, incorporating AI-driven recommendations and virtual try-ons will enhance user engagement and satisfaction (Kumari, 2021). The objective of this virtual consultation platform was to meet consumer needs for professional advice, accessible through online media from various stores.
To maintain customer loyalty, transactions should be quick and simple while retaining loyalty. The app should also simplify payment methods and enable direct integration with loyalty schemes, thereby providing convenience and value to users and promoting brand loyalty and repurchase rates. With real-time tracking, the post-purchase engagement strategy uses personalized reminders and community-building techniques to retain active customers.
Conclusion
Guardian needs to begin targeted app promotion campaigns to realize its new customer journey. Through redesigning the onboarding process, user adoption becomes simplified. Besides, there is a need to develop innovative features, such as AI-driven recommendations and virtual try-on functionality, to improve people’s product exploration. Similarly, introducing a virtual consultation platform ensures that expert opinions are sought and that seamless transaction processes with integrated loyalty programs are implemented to enhance customer retention. Post-purchase engagement strategies, such as real-time tracking and community building, will also be incorporated.
References
Berman, B. (2020) ‘Paths to purchase: the seven steps of customer purchase journey mapping‘, Rutgers Business Review, 5(1), pp.84-100.
Chen, Y., Mandler, T., and Meyer-Waarden, L. (2021) ‘Three decades of research on loyalty programs: A literature review and future research agenda’, Journal of Business Research, 124, pp. 179-197.
Guardian (2023).
Kokins, G., Straujuma, A., and Lapiņa, I. (2021) ‘The role of consumer and customer journeys in customer experience driven and open innovation‘, Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 7(3), pp. 1-20.
Kumari, S. (2021) ‘Context-aware AI-driven CRM: Enhancing customer journeys through real-time personalization and predictive analytics’, ESP Journal of Engineering and Technology Advancements, 1(1), pp. 7-13.
Lundin, L., and Kindström, D. (2023) ‘Digitalizing customer journeys in B2B markets‘, Journal of Business Research, 157, 1-12.
Similarweb. (2023) Guardian.com.vn.
Suh, T., and Chow, T. E. (2021) ‘Developing a digital marketing tool for ethnic ventures’ mixed business model and market-shaping: A design scientific approach of web demographics’, Industrial Marketing Management, 93, pp. 10-21.
Thanh Tu, L. (2023) Guardian’s retail chain opening journey.
Ye, Y., Papadaskalopoulos, D., Kazempour, J., and Strbac, G. (2019) ‘Incorporating non-convex operating characteristics into bi-level optimization electricity market models‘, IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, 35(1), pp. 163-176.