In this world where people have access to everything with a click of a button, you can really see how things have changed now especially with consumers. Shopping in-person has not died down, there are still shops all around the greatest economies in the world. People still want to get dressed up and go shopping. Add to that the fact that more people walk to work or use public transport, consumers are never really that far away from a physical store. So what has changed the most? The layout and the experience has definitely been altered to make shopping more comfortable. Hard floors, cold stores and narrow aisles are a thing of the past. Not only do customers have more room to move their trolleys and their baskets, but they enjoy the environment they’re in. If you are in retail then here are some ways you can make your customers not want to leave.
Slick and quick
If you keep up with the economic and industry news, you’ll see that more and more people just want to be in and out. There used to be a time when retail experts believed the longer you keep customers in your store, the more they will buy. The exact opposite is true now. People live busy lives, they don’t want to be walking around a retail store and then waiting around in a line. One of the ways you can make purchasing items quick is by using a modern point of sale system. Take for example, the Smart Flex and Smart Terminal. Both of these technologies allow customers to swipe their own items, and pay via contactless card. Everything is touchscreen and clearly displayed. The items automatically appear once scanned and payment is quick and easy. If customers can rely on a smooth service, they will be likely to visit your store more often.
Nature has its place
Retail stores of old look like industrial works inside. They were very formal, boring, dull and felt cold. Nowadays customers want something that is more homely so retail shopping feels calmer. One such way to achieve this is to add plants to the environment. Place the plants out of the way but make sure their presence is known. Putting them in the corners kind of defeats their purpose, so have them in the middle of aisles and right next to products for sale. If you have a business selling home decor, then placing plants makes the presentation of your products more realistic.
A softer floor
One of the worst things about the retail stores of the 90s and the early 2000s was the hard flooring. It was a mixture of wood, rubber and synthetic materials. If you have worked all day long and are tired, you don’t really want to walk around on a hard surface. That’s why something like bamboo flooring is very popular right now. It's bamboo that has been refined to be flexible and softer than other types of flooring.
Retail shopping should always be an experience for customers. You’re in the real world so you can be incredibly creative such as putting plants around your store, using modern quick-use technologies and better flooring.