Increasingly, we live in a visual world. While that’s always been the case to an extent, it’s true now more than ever. The digital era is upon us and visuals are key, when it comes to understanding what shoppers want. They want to see something special, first and foremost.
And why? Social media! Social media and the competition to keep personal (and business and influencer) feeds live and fresh, truly is a “thing”. That means consumers are looking for content, even when they come into your store. It’s part of the shopping experience.
As we know, experience is King in traditional retail, right now. So how do we plug into creating a setting that gives the visual, connected shopper what’s most valued and desired by them?
Retail and community.
Because so much of our lives are now lived online, the concept of community has been profoundly altered. Today’s shoppers want to feel that their online community life is being given necessary fodder when they walk into retail stores.
They want your store to be a reason to share what they’ve experienced, what they’ve bought (especially if it’s all the rage) and how your outlet made them feel. They want to feel that your store is a part of their lives and that their presence in it matters.
That can make even the least fascinating item (a light bulb, a corkscrew, a pair of socks) a reason to share. And when they share online, you get buzz.
So, if you’re sitting there thinking this is all esoteric and has nothing at all to do with your store, then you’re wrong. Building a sense of community is giving shoppers something they want, because it’s important to them.
Training for community-building.
Think about it for a minute. Isn’t community just another word for customer base? It sounds warm and fuzzy because it is. And it’s in that sense of cuddly familiarity that customer loyalty can be enhanced and built on.
Your sales staff should be very good with people. Open, friendly and helpful are the three words which should most aptly describe them. They’re part of building a sense of in-store community that holds all your efforts together.
When regular customers come in, they should be recognized and appreciated. That’s why minimizing turnover by paying your people as well as possible and by nurturing them as valuable employees is important. Familiar, welcoming faces move product.
So, the idea that what customers value and want when they walk into retail stores is a sense of community isn’t that esoteric at all.
It just makes sense. Build your customer base by building that sense of community. The phrase “something to write home about” immediately springs to mind. Only, with social media as the larger community outside your store, home is a very big place.
Clip Strip Corp.
Since 1980, Clip Strip Corp. has been in the business of creating exceptionally effective retail POP display supports.
Contact us to find out more about our superior product line.