The retail industry is continually turning toward e-commerce websites and mobile devices for attracting customers, but managers cannot look past their brick-and-mortar locations. More than ever, store owners need to give their retail space a little TLC to show customers that not only is this a great shopping environment, but it’s also a great experience.
Brand Channel reports retailers need to reinvent their stores to feel fresh to customers. This goes beyond buying some mannequins for sale and changing up the outfits, and brand managers will want to really think about how they market themselves.
Technology matters
Some of the ways stores are improving their customer experience is by incorporating technology into their message. By offering QR codes to customers so they can receive discounts or even showing video presentations in the store, the company’s customers can have a better interactive experience that could ultimately boost sales.
A growing number of retailers are also trying to incorporate technology into payments. With more people using mobile banking to make purchases, the news provider reports that retailers are beginning to accept transactions with just the tap of a smartphone.
Thinking of stores as experiences
Mobile technology is a great way to help with customer experiences, but it’s also important to think of other outlets of creativity.
“The store, as the heart of the brand and its emotional center, cannot be starved of investment and innovation, or appropriate levels of design, media and technology,” states Interbrand’s Best Brand Retailers 2013 report. “It needs to be the showcase for interesting new collaborations to keep things exciting, whether it’s a luxury jeweler or a humble dollar store.”
When it comes to cultivating that experience, store owners really need to imagine the message they are trying to get across and whether or not they are presenting it.
Forbes reports that a brick-and-mortar location can serve as the ultimate ad space. Think about how you want to draw your customers in, and use window signs to showcase your message appropriately. For example, if you want to show that your prices can’t be beat, come up with clever marketing featuring money bags or perhaps displaying the higher prices at other unnamed retailers. Budget-conscious customers will see these signs displayed in the window and will make a point to enter.
