A guide to retail customer experience
The retail industry is becoming increasingly complex. Of course, shoppers want a more smooth-running, enjoyable shopping experience, but that’s not just it: they also want it across every channel, all the time. As a retailer, whether you’re selling liquor, home furniture, or even life insurance, quality customer experience is critical for your business.
A positive shopping experience is even more important than price or quality for most shoppers. Many studies show that customer experience — not even product — is now the main differentiator for brands. As a retailer, it is your job to provide the best customer experience, surpassing the competition and increasing the turnover rate.
Here is a guide to retail customer experience and trends in 2023:
1. Omnichannel retail customer experience
An omnichannel customer experience consists of key interactions over multiple contact points between shoppers and a brand throughout the customer cycle.
As we all know, shoppers nowadays only shop at brick-and-mortar stores. So, the physical storefront is one of many channels you should pay attention to. In 2023, how shoppers engage with the retail industry has significantly changed, and retailers must monitor their sales across various points of contact and channels.
2. Go big on your marketing
Customers value when brands make purchasing an effortless activity. This means that highlighting the benefits of a product, providing free samples and putting the prices front and centre where they can see them will improve customer retention and increase impulse shopping.
Also, bright displays and promotions are the most effective ways to make prospective customers stop and look at your products!
3. Use data to understand customer preferences
Every customer is different; they have different needs, expectations, and behaviour. And, as all of them behave so differently, you, as a retailer, need to anticipate their preferences in the market. The best way to achieve this is by leveraging data to keep up with changing consumer preferences.
That said, with data, you can make profiles of customers as individuals and thus create personalized experiences and offerings. And so, creating customized shopping experiences requires a deep understanding of data schemas and databases; knowing what to do with the data and how to make the most of it is as important as knowing how to gather it.
4. Build trust with your customers
Trust takes time to build. And although it is hard to gain it, losing trust is relatively easy. This rule is also applied to markets.
Trust is one of the most important factors in purchasing decisions of customers. And building it is not a one-size-fits-all tactic that can be implemented overnight; as reliability is a key factor in building trust, companies must consistently deliver value. And being consistent implies that brands need to follow their promise over time so customers perceive them as trustworthy.
However, this also implies a commitment to change for the better when necessary.
5. Ask your customers what they would like to see.
Taking customer feedback and using it to improve the in-store experience is a key factor if you want to improve customer retention. It is practically the pillar that allows you to get to know your customers, forge an authentic relationship with them and provide them with personalized services.
With a quality information-gathering process, your company can streamline your offering, develop innovative new products and differentiate it from the competition.
