Everyone wants to feel valued, including consumers where their patronage is concerned. That’s why personalization is an important part of the in-store experience.
86% of consumers, when asked if they’d pay more for a personalized shopping experience, responded in the affirmative. That’s a compelling statistic which demands your attention. And an important factor driving that number is consumer experience online. Cyber transactions have become highly personalized, increasing pressure on brick and mortar vendors to follow suit.
Following at 5 tips brick and mortar retailers can use to personalize the in-store experience.
- Value your floor staff.
The personalized experience offered by e-commerce still doesn’t compare to a quality retail experience. Over 90% of consumers still choose brick and mortar for their shopping. High-value, personal interactions with flesh and blood floor staff are the reason.
Human interactions give you an edge over e-commerce. Well trained sales personnel are your greatest asset, so invest in training them to interact with customers on a highly-personalized level and watch your sales soar.
- Know your customers.
The best way to do this is to be present, even if your presence is via floor proxies. Politicians are more likely to get the votes they want when they connect directly with voters. The same is true of retail sales.
Offering your customers surveys is another way to gather key information about your shoppers and what they want. But offering a high-value newsletter which includes brief surveys, news about promotions and special offers is even better. These can be sent by email with personal notes that might read “Hi, (name)! I thought you might like to be the first to know about (insert promotion).
- Use technology.
Local businesses will find a level of personalization in Facebook that’s second to none. Making friends with your customers was never easier.
Local interest, civic engagement and items of community interest join your commercial efforts. Your customers feel special when you engage them directly on this platform and feel a sense of shared experience that only the in-store experience can match.
- Personalization and privacy.
There’s a fine line between “personal” and “too personal”. That said, 90% of consumers surveyed have revealed that they’re willing to part with personal information to take advantage of a higher level of shopping personalization and (above all) rewards.
Letting your customers know that their information won’t be sold to third parties is a best practice when asking for it. It further cements the relationship when you honor that promise.
- Reward loyalty.
The last of the 5 tips brick and mortar retailers can use to personalize the in-store experience is a big one. 80% of consumers participate in at least one loyalty program and report that they’ll stick with your loyalty program before buying from a competitor at a lower price.
With loyalty programs, you’re not only gathering valuable information about your customer base, you’re gaining an understanding of what they buy, which further supports the project of personalization.
Contact Clip Strip for quality POP supports.