More than 40% of Americans say shopping at physical stores is less enjoyable than before COVID-19. That’s according to a survey we recently completed, and it’s a problem for retailers, which are already losing customers to online stores.
The good news is that 91% of consumers still do at least half of their shopping in physical stores. However, if the in-store experience continues declining, that metric could drop quickly.
The survey shows that the solution lies not in competing with digital storefronts but in creating more positive in-store experiences. Here are a few research-backed tips for doing exactly that.
Support Your Staff
According to the study, poor interactions with sales associates are one of the main reasons customers enjoy shopping in physical stores less today than previously. They leave stores feeling frustrated by impolite or unhelpful workers who can’t promptly get them the product information or locations they need.
50% of survey respondents say they’ve stopped visiting a retail store because of experiences like these.
This means improving how your staff interacts with customers will be essential to delivering the in-store shopping experience they desire. You can do that by investing more in training and new technologies that make it easy for sales associates to provide stand-out experiences.
Reduce Line Sizes
71% of surveyed shoppers say they find long lines and crowds the most frustrating aspect of shopping at retail stores. There are a few ways to reduce line sizes, including:
- Using cameras and automation to initiate workflows that will monitor line lengths and call for additional cashiers
- Adding more cashiers to your schedule during busy times
- Opening more self-checkout lanes
- Training other associates on your cash registers so they can support cashiers when lines are long
Offer Price-Matching
High prices are the second most frustrating thing for retail shoppers after long lines. Addressing this can be more challenging because cutting prices will eat into your profit margins. Price matching may be the solution.
Price-matching lets you reduce costs for the customers who are determined to get the best price possible. Everyone else will continue paying full price. This lets you address a common complaint without reducing your profits so severely.
Plus, customers who take advantage of your price matching may buy other things in your stores at full price. The profits on those items can further make up for reducing your margins.
Integrate Online and Offline Shopping
Finally, 32% of surveyed consumers say limited product availability is the most frustrating aspect of shopping at a physical store. Unfortunately, there’s no easy way for retail environments to match online stores’ broad selection. Attempting to do so would take up too much space and be an inefficient use of capital.
The solution is to connect your in-store shopping experience with an online marketplace. That way, when customers can’t find what they want in your store, associates can direct them to your app or website. You could even set up in-store portals so customers can order products from your online store while visiting your brick-and-mortar locations.
Final Take
Online shopping has transformed the retail landscape, but most customers still enjoy shopping in person. You can make sure they visit your stores by reshaping your in-store shopping experience. The data-backed tips in this article can help you get started.
