One of a retailer’s biggest challenges is improving the in-store customer experience. The shopping experience has evolved from something vague, centered on providing pleasant interactions for the customer, into a strategic priority capable of setting a business apart. Today, it is one of the biggest factors driving sales for companies of all sizes.
To optimize it, organizations spend a lot of money trying to figure out what’s going on in the customer’s head. Tools like Business Intelligence are essential at times like these. But are there structural changes that can help you elevate the in-store customer experience?
That’s what we’re going to explore today. You’ll see how layout, lighting and changes at the point of sale can enrich the shopper experience.
1. Create an environment that truly reflects your business
The American beauty retail chain Ulta Beauty recently saw a 23.7% increase in sales. An industry giant with more than a thousand stores in the United States, it benefited from a very simple change: turning its store layout into something that reflects its message.
In this case, Ulta invested in differentiating itself from other retailers by offering exclusive services. Hair, makeup and brow services are available at its stores across the country, which have been transformed into mini-spas.
The spaces were reimagined as destinations. And Ulta’s customers gained the opportunity to discover products during the longer time they began spending in its stores.
2. Think about smart points of sale
One of the simplest techniques a retailer can implement to boost sales and improve the in-store customer experience is to think about smart points of sale. That’s what British supermarket Waitrose did recently. The initiative raised its public profile and led to it being named the UK’s favorite.
With a simple idea, they completely changed the customer-store interaction and showed us what the future could look like. To replicate the experience of its online stores in the real world, Waitrose created options for its shoppers to receive their purchases without setting foot in a store.
The brand developed a Click-and-Collect system that works more or less like a gym locker. The temperature-controlled space lets people pick up their groceries at the train station or airport, wherever is most convenient for them.
3. Change your store’s lighting
You may not realize it, but lighting is what defines a store’s atmosphere. That’s why it plays a key role in the shopping experience and can help you elevate it. Just as visual signs are used to convey a message, light, when handled well, is a powerful tool.
A field study was able to measure how much lighting influences customer behavior. It found that visitors are more likely to buy in the areas of a store with warmer lighting. The increase, of at least 1.93%, is a great return for such a subtle change.
Be careful, however, not to overdo it. Making your primary lighting (the lighting that covers most of the store) too dim is a sure way to reduce the impact your products have when presented to customers.
Using accent lighting to highlight details and guide the shopper’s eye helps create contrast. This makes it easier to take in our surroundings and choose what to buy.
Still, even though it has everything it takes to help, accent lighting also needs to be used with caution. Too much of it tends to weaken its persuasive power.
4. Establish hierarchy to improve the customer experience
Another tip that can help make your store layout amazing is the use of hierarchy. This concept, widely explored in graphic design, is also important in creating harmonious, pleasant spaces, which in turn make customers feel more welcome.
The best way to make sure customers can’t find what they’re looking for is to place all products at the same height. Make use of the visitor’s entire field of vision and create contrast by placing the products that deserve the most attention in positions that favor them. This approach can increase engagement and get more people to take something home.
Use the Pyramid Principle when you start experimenting with this technique. In it, we create a focal point and arrange the less relevant items in a cascade, with your best-seller right in the center.
5. Invest in technology and interaction
A business can do a lot for the customer experience by investing in technology and innovation. There are plenty of examples out there to prove it. Interactive kiosks are just one of them.
They can work as a complement to the checkout process or as a self-service tool. Since we’re increasingly dealing with hyperconnected customers, they offer a self-service alternative that can appeal to part of your audience.
When it comes to innovation at the point of sale, however, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. You need to think exclusively about your customers and what can best serve them.
One thing is certain: never invest in technology just for the sake of it. Whenever possible, it should be used to fix a gap in the customer experience or to simplify it.
Technology applications that only serve to show your company has money to spend on them can turn the shopper experience into a nightmare, and cause shoppers to lose trust in your brand.
Did you like the tips we put together to help you improve the in-store customer experience? If so, be sure to follow AliceWonders on social media. We’re on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
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