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11 Ways to Create an Awesome Retail
Experience
By YEC | In: Customer Service, Marketing, Retall
In the digital age, it can be difficult for brick-and-
mortar retailers to compete with the convenience of
e-commerce. If you run a traditional retail store and
want to draw customers in—and keep them coming
back—you must focus on creating an incredible in-
store experience that entices them to make a
a
That's why we asked a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members to weigh in on the
purchase in person.
following question:
Q. What is your preferred method for improving in-store
experiences? Why do you favor that approach?
1. Combine your online and offline shopping
experiences
Instead of treating your online store as a totally different store than your offline one, combine
them for a better experience. For instance, use the same color scheme and branding, and if
you're having an online promotion, carry that promotion in-store as well. Combining aspects of
your digital store to your in-store experience will make for a more cohesive experience for your
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En ne wey Wepre your fosnre wsberertes wu
reward your regular customers. The customers
who are already coming to your physical store are
‘customers you want to keep around, so you
should reward them for their loyalty. Provide in-
store discounts, host special in-store events, or
come up with a loyalty program that will keep customers coming back time and time again. —
Blair Williams, MemberPress.
3. Improve the lighting
=
| Lighting makes a big difference when it comes to the in-store experience.
It can be the difference of someone spending an extra hour in your store
browsing comfortably or just getting what they needed and running out.
the door. Improve your lighting by making it softer and remove the super
bright fluorescent lights that have people walking in with blue light blocker
glasses. — Jared Atchison, WPForms
4. Hire mystery shoppers
Employing mystery shoppers to provide feedback on the customer
experience is my preferred method, This cost-effective tool can help you
identify areas in which you excel and areas that need improvement, from
the customer's perspective. You can even provide mystery shoppers with
T a checklist of specific things to look for and report on. —Matthew
Podolsky, Florida Law Advisers, PA.
5. Create an in-store app
One problem customers typically face in big box stores is not knowing where the merchandise is,
located. Lowe's solved this problem by developing an app that points the customer to the correct
aisle and location. Developing an app that helps customers with their in-store experience could
become a differentiator when a customer is choosing one store over another. —Syed
Balkhi, WPBeginner
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— our business that engaging customers on a
personal level helps them feel welcome. We love
to chat with our customers about whatever they're
interested in, whether it's their pets, their school,
or their kids. When we get our customers talking
about their lives, they love it—and they're more likely to come back and patronize our business
again. —Erica Douglass, 1Up Repairs
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7. Design the store layout and checkout process
for efficiency
w To the extent you can streamline the shopping process and simplify it to
avoid long wait times, you will continue to win new business. | prefer
shopping in stores that have open layouts so I can find what I need easily
and also check out easily with an automated process. By making sure
people can find what they need easily and are able to quickly check out,
in-store experiences will improve. —Jared Weitz, United Capital Source
Inc.
8. Develop an SMS-based bot
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‘SMELT. recommendations if my choice is out of stock. —Shilpi Sharma, Kvantum
Inc.
9. Embrace mobile checkout options
‘Smartphones have changed the way customers shop forever, making
speed a huge priority when it comes to in-store experiences. Look at,
‘Amazon Go, which offers a cashierless experience, or Starbucks’ mobile
ordering. Most customers know what they want these days, so having
options for faster checkout and product discovery will improve overall
customer satisfaction. —Charles Koh, Pixery, Inc.
10. Make your space comfortable and inviting
Make your store into a place you'd like to be. Keep it clean and
organized, choose good music, allow lots of natural light, if possible, and
include seating areas. When customers want to be there, they will be in
less of a hurry to leave and will spend more time browsing. If your store is
ae
enjoyable, customers will choose you over competitors. —Stephanie
Wells, Formidable Forms
11. Let customers test products
We've all been to stores where they demo blenders and then customers
buy them. This is called testing, and it is my favorite method of improving
the in-store experience. It increases purchasing behavior and it works
every time. To form a better opinion about your product, customers
should experience it. Figure out how you can present your product in a
unique and experiential way to see good results. Solomon
Thimothy, OneIMS
RELATED: Send Retail Sales Soaring With the Right Store Design
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