Improving In-store Customer Experience

Running a store is not a piece of cake as it involves a lot of things to manage. Moreover, many of these things are very crucial to keep optimum as the in-store experience is built over time. Yes, a store has multiple things that constitute its experience, from its looks to the behavior of the staff. So, managing all this is important to keep its experience the best.

However, there has always been confusion about how to bring the changes that can make a store's experience better. Don't worry, as we have come up with a complete guide for you to learn:

1. What is in-store experience, and why is it important?
2. What are its elements? 
3. How to measure it? 
4. Ways to improve it

So, put on your reading mode and get ready.

Why Is In-Store Experience Key to Business Success?

The customer can even pay more for a product or service if he/she gets a great experience while shopping. This isn't a theory, but research has proven to be true that 86% of customers can spend more if the experience is top-notch. This stat is enough for us to discuss the importance of in-store experience. 

It is one of the things that make the customer experience. If a customer enters the store and is greeted by the staff, this will impact his/her experience. But this greeting is a part of maintaining the store’s experience.

Now, returning to the stats, it's very clear that a product or service, no matter how good or unique it is, isn't enough to keep your customers satisfied and loyal. The statistics suggest that to get your customers' satisfaction and earn their loyalty, how your customer feels is important. In an offline store business, the store’s experience stands first in the line.

In totality, the in-store experience is important as it has an influence over facts, which is crucial for the business to grow and maintain growth. But it itself isn't a unit. Yes, it has multiple elements, so let's uncover them now. 

Five Elements of In-store Experience

1. Ambience

The store's atmosphere includes decor, lighting, colors, music, and overall visual appeal. A well-designed store with appealing visuals attracts customers and enhances their shopping experience. The right ambiance can make customers feel comfortable and more likely to spend time browsing and buying.

2. Service

Providing excellent customer service is crucial. Train employees to be friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. Staff should be approachable and able to assist customers with their needs and questions, creating a positive and supportive shopping environment.

3. Transparency

Be transparent about your products and services. Provide accurate information and set clear expectations. Customers appreciate honesty and are more likely to trust and return to a store that is upfront about its offerings. Ensure that product descriptions, pricing, and promotional materials are clear and truthful.

4. Flexibility of Options

Offer a wide range of products to cater to different tastes and preferences. Personalize recommendations to make customers feel special and understood. Display a variety of options in terms of product types, styles, and price ranges to meet diverse customer needs.

5. Communication

Maintain consistent and interactive communication with customers through various in-store methods, such as signage, announcements, and direct interactions. Ensure that staff are well-informed and can communicate effectively with customers about promotions, new products, and store events.

Four Pain Points of a Retail Business

Now, that brings us to discuss some of the pain retail businesses face due to the bad in-store experience. 

1. Customer Churn

Churning customers is an issue that has a similar effect on businesses, whether they operate online or offline. Now, what happens when customers churn? It negatively impacts the company's revenue as not only does the repeat sales go down, but acquiring new customers is costlier. So, the profit margin will be affected even if your monthly sales remain the same. 

Also Read- Mastering Customer Churn: Strategies for Retention and Growth

2. High CLV Customers Spending Less 

Customer churn is not alone in a business's list of pain points. Customers spending less is also a problem faced by retail businesses. There are multiple things that this less spending phenomenon points towards. For instance, when a customer with a higher lifetime value starts spending less, it shows that there's something wrong, which is making the customer relatively dissatisfied.

Now, dissatisfied customers are less likely to promote your product or brand through word of mouth, so you lose free marketing as well. Also, it can be a sign of potential churn, meaning the customer may be slowly moving towards the likelihood of churn. Moreover, the direct impacts, like less sales and profits, will undoubtedly be there. 

3. Inventory Management

Retailers often struggle with keeping track of their stock. Sometimes, they order too much and can't sell it all, or they don't order enough and run out of popular items. This can lead to a waste of money and unhappy customers who can't find what they want. Good inventory management means having the right amount of stock at the right time.

4. Untrained Sales Team – Customer Service

A retail store's success heavily depends on its sales team. When employees are not properly trained, they may not know how to help customers effectively, leading to poor service. This can make customers feel frustrated and unvalued, driving them to shop elsewhere. Providing thorough training ensures staff can offer great service and keep customers happy.

These are some of the pain points that retail businesses have to deal with. If you look at them, you will realize that customer experience is the thing that connects the dots between these pain points. It can also help you identify the problems in your store if you measure the experience. But how can you do that? 

Measuring Store’s Customer Experience

There are multiple ways to measure the experience of your customers visiting your store. Let's discuss some of the best ones out of them. 

● Store Traffic and Conversion 

The traffic in your store can be a great way to measure the cx of your store if you compare it with the conversions you are getting. If you are getting traffic where most prospects are turning into your customers, the in-store customer experience is great. 

● Customer Feedback 

With surveys, you can directly get customer insights about your cx. If you are getting positive customer feedback, the customer experience is great, while negative feedback shows the opposite. 

Let's now talk about the medium you can use. Gathering the phone number in a retail business isn't hard. So, you can use one of the best ways, NPS. With NPS surveys, you can send simple surveys to your customers asking about their experience and satisfaction. With SurveyCXM by QDegrees, you can easily send the NPS surveys to your customers and get powerful insights. 

● In-person Mystery Shopping 

Another great way to gauge the in-store customer experience is to get a mystery shopping service. Mystery shoppers are trained professionals who are taught to evaluate the stores from the POV of a customer. Professionals evaluate the visitor experience more accurately as they know what is important to notice in a store based on what a customer can notice. 

So, while it may take multiple customers to evaluate everything about your store, a mystery shopper can do it alone. If you also want to get your store audited by a professional mystery shopper, you can check out the best In-person Mystery Shopping service by QDegrees.

Five Ways to Improve Store’s Experience

1. Enhance Store Layout

1. Organization: Ensure the store is clean and well-organized, and products are easy to find. Clear signage helps customers navigate the store effortlessly.
   
2. Aesthetics: Use appealing displays and lighting to make the store inviting. Highlight popular or new items with eye-catching arrangements.

2. Train Staff Well

1. Knowledgeable Staff: Train employees to be well-informed about products and store policies. They should be able to answer customer queries confidently.
2. Customer Service: Encourage staff to be friendly, approachable, and proactive in helping customers. Good service makes customers feel valued and can enhance their shopping experience.

3. Use Technology

1. Digital Tools: Implement digital price tags and self-checkout stations to streamline the shopping process. These technologies can reduce wait times and improve convenience.
2. Store Apps: Offer mobile apps that help customers find products, check prices, or access special promotions. Providing free Wi-Fi can also enhance their experience.

4. Offer Personalized Service

1. Customer Data: Utilize customer data to offer personalized recommendations and targeted promotions. Remembering customer preferences can make them feel special and appreciated.
2. Personal Touches: Simple gestures, like greeting regular customers by name or offering tailored suggestions, can significantly enhance customer satisfaction.

5. Create Engaging Experiences

1. In-Store Events: Host workshops, demonstrations, or special events to engage customers. These activities can make shopping more enjoyable and create a sense of community.
2. Interactive Displays: Use interactive displays or virtual reality experiences to engage customers and make their visit memorable. These elements can also provide valuable information about products.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this is what retail experience is and why it's important to your business. Moreover, with the ways mentioned above, you can improve the in-store customer experience and ensure you are not experiencing any loss due to the bad in-store experience. But you should know that multiple things are important for a great in-store customer experience, like mystery shopping, CSAT and NPS surveys, etc.