The explosion of ecommerce once posed a serious threat to bricks and mortar companies. Global online retailers like Amazon and eBay were deemed a risk to both large and small offline retailers, as they offered affordable prices and fast delivery to a customer’s address.
However, the threat didn’t seem to materialize for many companies. If anything, the internet is helping to drive custom to businesses in cities across the world.
Yet, with more competition in the marketplace, companies must aim to differentiate their brand from the crowd. Read the following advice on how to futureproof your bricks and mortar store.
Instore Experiences
While retailers will need to stock high-quality inventory to attract customers in their droves, it is the in-store experiences that can generate a buzz and additional sales.
To set your brand apart from its rivals, you could provide your customers with informative classes or workshops. For example, Nike provides fitness and running classes at select premises. It is an effective tactic to drive footfall to your business and secure brand loyalty.
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Personalized Shopping Experiences
Customer retention is integral to your company’s success. To encourage people to return to your business time and again, you should aim to provide your customers with more personalized shopping experiences.
For example, you must create a customer experience to suit their specific needs. For example, smartphone loyalty programs can be paired with geolocation, which will allow customers to unlock various rewards from sales associates once they enter a physical store. It can make the shopping experience much more enjoyable while encouraging customers to spend more money on your products.
Help Customers Find Your Store Online
Of course, it will be impossible for your customers to enjoy instore experiences and personalized shopping if they can’t find your bricks and mortar store. It is, therefore, important to encourage foot traffic to your premises by creating a Google Business Listing.
By doing so, your target customers will be more likely to find your store when searching for your products or services online. However, to improve your ranking, you will need to ensure your listing is accurate and updated. If you don’t claim your listing, you will have limited visibility online, which can lead to smaller footfall to your store.
Digital Elements
Consumers are more tech-savvy than ever before, which is why many now expect to enjoy various digital elements when shopping at a bricks and mortar store.
To improve the customer experience, you should consider incorporating the following digital elements into your premises:
- Digital concierge services that provide product information and recommendations
- Cloud-based POS systems to allow staff to process payments anywhere in-store
- Kiosks that display personalized content to customers
- Digital signage to promote offers, ad campaigns and products
Many forward-thinking retailers are also embracing augmented and virtual reality into their stores. For example, Topshop has trialed a virtual reality dressing room that enables customers to select a garment to wear without having to take it off the rack, as customers can view a 3D copy of the garment on a screen.
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