In an increasingly professionalized and competitive market, offering customers a positive shopping experience is no longer a differentiator; it has become a must.

Companies that fail to offer personalized, surprising treatment to consumers will inevitably see their numbers drop and lose ground to the competition.

But don’t worry! In this article, we’ll show you why the shopping experience matters and what you should do to improve it, with the goal of increasing your conversions. We’ll also present some trends and innovations that can enhance your strategy.

Want customers who are delighted with your company? Then keep reading!

What is the shopping experience?

Have you ever noticed how we’re hit with millions of pieces of information every day? It’s hard to absorb so many “buy,” “listen,” “click,” “subscribe,” and so on. And at the end of the day, all we retain is what was important or what moved us.

That’s exactly why it’s increasingly challenging for companies to reach consumers who are hungry for new experiences.

And speaking of experiences, we should make it clear that experience is what makes customers feel emotion or want to purchase a product. See how everything is connected?

So the shopping experience can be defined as a retail strategy, focused on attraction and retention, that puts the customer at the center of attention, making shopping increasingly personalized, intuitive, and exciting!

In other words, the shopping experience can be understood as a concept that goes far beyond a simple commercial transaction. In fact, the goal is to move consumers emotionally and build affinity with the brand.

To avoid any confusion, here’s what the shopping experience is not:

• working only on the sensory aspect (scent, tastings, music, and so on) is not the shopping experience;
• the customer’s mere perception of the brand is not the shopping experience.

Although a company’s goal is always to deliver the best to its customers, negative experiences do exist (the customer couldn’t find what they were looking for, received poor service, got their car scratched in the parking lot, etc.), and they are also a form of shopping experience.

That’s why this strategy is one of the components of brand equity, and it has to work end to end to be good: from a parking lot with clear signage to well-managed inventory.

So we can say that every kind of interaction (good or bad) between the customer and the company helps shape their perception of the shopping experience. Here are some of the positive elements that influence this process:

• the POS environment;
• visual aspects and architecture;
• the customer’s relationship with the products and the staff;
• sensory interactions;
• prices and product variety that match expectations;
• fun while shopping;
• flawless operations;
• innovation;
• well-trained, engaging, and motivated sales associates.

Next, we’ll talk about the three characteristics that define an experience that leaves a positive mark on the customer:

A meaningful experience

If a customer leaves and, shortly afterward, has already forgotten who you are or what your company is, that’s a sign something needs to be reviewed. It’s important for that consumer to walk away telling their friends about the great experience they had with your organization.

Granted, people don’t always like to share what they experience. Still, it’s essential that the moment stands out in some way: through good service, friendliness, attentiveness, a commitment to satisfaction, or even the effort you made to solve a problem the person had before walking through your door.

Another point customers really value is when a company respects where they are in their buying journey. Keep in mind that the sales process has several stages. Trying to force a faster conversion can produce the opposite of the result you want.

That’s because the vast majority of sales only happen when there’s trust on both sides of the relationship. So, to earn the customer’s trust, you need to speak their language at each stage and offer solutions that truly fit their needs at that moment.

Imagine, for example, a customer who contacted the company in the past and didn’t get their questions answered. Instead, the salesperson kept trying to “push” a product on them. Do you think a new approach to this customer will result in a sale? It’s very unlikely the deal will close.

So, by understanding and respecting the customer’s buying stage, the salesperson can offer a meaningful experience aligned with their expectations. From there, they’ll earn the customer’s trust and, as a result, the sale will come more easily.

A memorable experience

Promising customers the moon isn’t ethical, and it won’t guarantee a sale either. A memorable experience has nothing to do with promises of eternal happiness and perfection.

Instead, it’s about courteous, attentive, respectful, and sincere treatment. So it’s important to listen to the customer all the way through and only then promise something that truly solves their problems. That’s the right way to surprise them!

A positive experience

A positive experience is one that impresses and ensures the customer will want to live it again. In other words, it means the company is constantly concerned with gauging customer satisfaction and working to improve it with every new interaction.

If your company keeps a customer history, review it regularly. If at any point you feel something was missing in how the customer was treated or served, fix it immediately.

Why should your company care?

Overcoming customer objections takes work. However, when the shopping experience is well crafted, it leaves a lasting mark on the consumer’s mind, and the relationship becomes something valuable. From there, buying becomes natural and fun.

Put that way, it sounds rather simple and obvious. But the truth is that many companies neglect the shopping experience. And the reason is even simpler: creating unforgettable experiences requires planning, creativity, prudence, and execution, not to mention training employees.

As a result, these companies keep offering customers a mediocre experience at the POS. And they miss an opportunity to make their business stand out.

If you’re still not convinced of how important the shopping experience is for your company, here are two more reasons to offer customers tailored treatment!

The POS becomes more flexible

To offer a personalized shopping experience at the point of sale, you need to better understand the different segments of your audience by observing their behavior, culture, social class, and regional factors. This process requires the company to adapt to the audience’s expectations. As a result, it becomes more flexible.

However, this analysis needs to be based on two key points:

1. insights must be drawn from reliable data;
2. metrics need to be analyzed and grouped according to behavior patterns (profiles looking for distinctive products, low prices, convenience, etc.).

That way, a small adaptation of the POS allows the company to meet the wants of a broad audience in a personalized way.

The customer feels satisfied

The personalized shopping experience has an interesting quirk: even though the company has adapted to serve a group of customers, each individual feels as if the store has been tailored to meet their own unique needs.

That’s because the adaptation takes into account the demand for products or specific differentiators in a given region or customer group. As a result, that audience will identify with the company. In other words, the POS manages to meet the needs of many consumers at once.

The upshot is that customers feel catered to, and the company creates a positive atmosphere that helps build loyalty within that group of consumers.

So, are you convinced that the shopping experience matters for your company? Then read on to see how and why to improve it!

How and why should you improve the shopping experience?

In the previous section, we talked about why your company should care about the shopping experience. Now, let’s look at some numbers:

• a study commissioned by the US company LogMwIn from the Ovum Institute (an English consulting and research firm) found that 82% of respondents stop doing business with a brand because of a single bad experience;
• a Salesforce survey found that 88% of marketers already understand the importance of the customer journey and use it in their strategies;
• a survey by the website Zoom (a product and price comparison site) in partnership with Consumoteca showed that the number of people who use internet-connected tablets or smartphones to shop and compare prices has grown from 62% to 76% since 2014;
• a Nielsen study revealed that more than 70% of purchasing decisions are made at the point of sale.

These figures make it clear that, even though consumers are increasingly connected across multiple channels and do plenty of research to find the best options to solve their problems, the shopping experience at the POS still has a strong influence on their final decision. That’s exactly why it needs constant improvement. Here’s what you can do to achieve that goal:

Build empathy with your customers

Before launching any strategy, you need to put yourself in your audience’s shoes. In other words, imagine what kinds of products, services and processes your customers are looking for.

For each stage of the shopping experience, take your consumer’s point of view and imagine how they would react to your actions. Once you’ve done that, it’s important to check with your sales team whether any step has been forgotten or overlooked.

Make your interactions efficient

An efficient interaction is one that anticipates the stages of the purchasing process. To get there, you can create materials that support the presentation of your product or service and explain how it can be useful to your consumer. This helps clear up the customer questions that used to stall the deal.

Listen to your customers

We’ve already discussed here the importance of listening to your customers so you can offer solutions that truly make sense for them, instead of making empty promises. Still, it’s worth emphasizing this point, because it’s essential for your company to deliver a good shopping experience to consumers.

So, whenever a customer shares an opinion, need, question, complaint or suggestion, have a team that’s willing to listen. Even if it’s impossible to resolve every request on the spot, they can provide insights for future improvements to the shopping experience.

Don’t neglect the POS

There are some common mistakes you should avoid at your point of sale. Among them:

• not planning properly;
• not considering the type of audience you serve;
• having an unappealing window display;
• not paying attention to proper lighting;
• not keeping a comfortable temperature;
• displaying products in a disorganized way;
• neglecting inventory;
• not training your staff.

Watch out for these mistakes and fix them as soon as you spot them.

Surprise your customers

If you’ve followed all the tips so far, it’s because you want to make the customer experience memorable, right? The best way to do that is to move and surprise them. In other words, your company needs to deliver value or benefits the customer didn’t ask for or expect — an extra service, freebies or even a personalized thank-you after the sale are good examples.

Here’s what you can do to improve the shopping experience and surprise your customers:

• meet or even exceed consumer expectations — this requires deep reflection on who your customer is;
• deliver a stress-free, effortless experience for the consumer — careful planning is key here;
• offer differentiators and actions with strong appeal — social engagement is a great opportunity these days;
• personalize your service — customers need to be in control and feel well taken care of.

Finally, it’s worth stressing once more how important it is to always create an emotional connection with the consumer!

Why keep up with innovations in this area?

Innovations at the POS open up a whole new world of possibilities for your company to delight and impress customers. Put that way, it almost sounds like a cliché, right? But take a look at a few possibilities below and see what your company stands to gain:

It increases interactivity

When customers live an immersive experience, they bond with the company and are more likely to make a purchase and become brand evangelists.

For companies that work with vending machines, for example, we have a fantastic case of a cookie machine that unlocks automatically through an interactive floor mat — all of it right out on the street.

This kind of experience delights consumers and strengthens the relationship.

Augmented reality: it creates a new world before the customer’s eyes

Augmented reality is an innovation that blends technology with reality. In other words, various objects are projected and integrated into the real world.

A good example of this kind of activation is the one developed by Alice Wonders for Monsanto Brasil, aimed at showcasing all the technology available to the agribusiness market.

People were able to interact with “virtual tractors” and other industry innovations. The result was an immersive, high-impact experience that will surely stay on consumers’ minds for a long time.

It enables virtual visits

Can’t your customer show up at your business in person? A virtual visit solves that!

Imagine a trade show you’d really love to attend, but it’s taking place in another city. Or maybe you’re nearby, but you’re not sure it’s worth the trip. For customers in situations like these, a virtual visit is an excellent experience.

At the 2016 São Paulo Auto Show, for example, Alice Wonders created a really cool project for Volkswagen. With it, customers could take virtual tours of the automaker’s booth (without having to go there).

As a result, the booth “welcomed” many more people (both in person and virtually).

It helps with inventory management

If a customer comes to your business and can’t find what they’re looking for, they’ll leave dissatisfied. Likewise, if a delivery is delayed because the item was out of stock, you’ve just delivered a terrible shopping experience.

To avoid these problems, you need to manage your inventory properly. Some very interesting innovations in this area are software and integrated solutions that let you manage inventory effectively, alerting you when a product is running low and preventing it from being sold when it’s out of stock.

It supports personalization

Although personalization may seem challenging because it has to take into account each customer’s specific values and interests, it can be made easier by a new market trend known as “mass customization.” This concept is a way to balance consumer expectations with the company’s bottom line and, in doing so, offer a customized shopping experience.

To do this, you need to use technology, data intelligence reports, and platforms that provide information about the market, target audience, and competition.

Artificial intelligence and Big Data systems at the POS help you understand, predict, and respond to consumer behavior automatically and in real time. As a result, your business can map each customer’s buying habits to anticipate their needs and create targeted promotions.

The company analyzes this data to understand certain consumer behavior patterns, such as growing interest in natural products, craft beers, or other product categories.

One example is Alice Wonders’ software, which parameterizes interactions and generates insights. To do so, it analyzes KPIs (metrics) to deliver real, relevant interaction data.

With this innovation, the company can create specific sections, promote sensory experiences that encourage the purchase of certain items, and even reconfigure the POS in a way that highlights specific products.

It enables digital storefronts

Electronic displays placed in the storefront window, at the checkout, on shelves, on the counter, or elsewhere at the POS can showcase product features (such as price, technical specs, models, payment options, etc.). This helps highlight the merchandise and makes customers want it even more.

Research shows that 76% of consumers would walk into a store based simply on how appealing its storefront is.

One example is Adidas, which saw a 40% increase in sales after implementing digital signage in its storefront windows.

It brings the POS to life

Remember those futuristic movies from the 1990s where people talked to holograms? Well, the future is already here! Through technology, innovation, and interactivity, it’s now possible to create holographic assistants for the POS.

One success story is Sensodyne’s, developed by Alice Wonders. The goal of the project was to bring life and interactivity to the POS to boost the launch of Sensodyne Repair and Protect. To do so, a holographic dentist presented the product.

The result was a 300% increase in sales on the very first day. And it was such a success that the campaign was repeated the following year and achieved the same numbers — this time with a new dentist.

As we’ve seen, a positive shopping experience gives customers a new perception of the brand. As a result, they’re more inclined to buy the company’s products or hire its services.

In addition, marketing innovations and strategies open up countless possibilities that can deliver a fantastic return for the business. However, creating and executing them requires relentless, challenging, and exhausting work. That’s why the agency you hire needs to specialize in digital retail experiences to boost sell-out.

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