Better retail sales are a product of a better retail shopping experience. The question that must be answered then, is how do I generate a better retail shopping experience? A customer’s shopping experience actually begins before the customer even enters your store. Attributes of your store’s location and ingress/egress, the ease and availability of parking and the amount of other retail activity in the area are great places to look for clues as to how conveniently your store is located. A convenient location is the first consideration in producing better retail sales…it is simply easier to shop at a store that is conveniently located. That said, of course, location is one of the hardest things to change about your store. But you must be aware how location impacts your store’s success.
If your store does not have the best location, take heart. I have observed some stores that have done quite well in less than desirable locations. They accomplish this by concentrating on the balance of the shopping experience. When you are characterizing the qualities of a shopping experience in your store, look no further than the five senses. We evaluate our shopping experiences by the only means that we have: what we see, what we hear, what we taste, what we smell and what we touch. People would rate these senses in different orders of importance…makes no difference. We still evaluate everything about the shopping experience through our five senses that connect us to the world.
Does a store have great customer service? Then you probably see friendly smiles. You probably hear knowledgeable sales pitches. You probably see that you get in and out of the store quickly.
Is the store pleasant to shop in? Well then, you probably see attractive décor and see good visual merchandising. You probably hear music that appeals to you and hear clerks periodically offering their assistance. Perhaps there are displays to feel and touch. And I bet the store has coffee and popcorn or other things to taste and smell.
Once we have the data that we have accumulated through our five sense, our minds then create our feelings about the store. When we make our decisions as to where we will shop and where we will spend our money we do so based upon those feelings that we have associated with a store.
So perhaps Morris Albert was right, when it comes to better retail sales, Feelings, nothing more than feelings.
