Improving Your Shop Floor Experience

Looking to increase conversions in your offline retail store? The way consumers shop today has changed significantly compared to a decade ago. The boom in online shopping has made customers a lot pickier about the stores they shop in offline. Now, retail outlets are expected to provide a customer-friendly experience and that all starts on the shop floor.

Investing in your shop floor is just as crucial as investing in your products in terms of customer experience and profits. So, what kinds of factors should you be focusing on when trying to improve your shop floor experience? Below, you’ll discover some of the best ways to improve your retail space.

 

Creating the right shopping atmosphere

You’ll want to start by assessing your current shopping environment. Did you know for example, that the music you play in store can have a direct impact on the way your shoppers feel, and in turn on how much they spend?

It is said that the atmosphere of a store is often a lot more influential than the products. Research has shown that softer, quieter music causes shoppers to spend more time in a store than music which is considered too loud. The speed of the music also matters. Slower music is more likely to lead to increased sales than faster music.

The layout of your store also matters. In the UK, shoppers are more likely to turn left when entering a store, whereas in the US they’ll turn right. This means, you’ll want to place your most valuable items on either the left or the right side depending upon which country you’re in.

 

Ensure your employees are happy

Your employees are critical to the success of your store. This means, you need to ensure they’re well trained, have a great customer manner and they’re fully satisfied in their role. If your employees are happy, your customers are going to be happy. So, why not carry out an employee satisfaction survey to see whether any improvements could be made to boost employee happiness?

 

Keep the temperature just right

It’s important to make sure the temperature of your store is just right. In the colder months, it should provide warmth and shelter, while in the hotter weather, you’ll want to ensure it’s cool and comfortable. If the temperature isn’t right, people aren’t going to spend long browsing the store.

You’ll need to make sure your heating and cooling equipment is properly maintained. This will ensure you don’t suffer a system failure, and it will also help to cut costs as you’ll be able to identify any potential issues quickly.

 

Add unique perks for shoppers

Studies have shown that perks are important to today’s customers. Even if the perks you offer are included as part of the cost of a purchase, customers still love to receive them. Offering perks gives you a unique advantage over your competitors. You don’t need to spend a fortune on them either. Some great perks include providing treats and refreshments free of charge in store, providing cashback and loyalty schemes.

Consider adding customer reviews by your products

Did you know that adding customer reviews by your products can help entice consumers to make a purchase? They can clearly see that other shoppers enjoy the product and it’s a unique way to display your testimonials. Amazon does this in its physical stores, and you might just be surprised how effective it can be.

As you can see, there are a lot of ways you can improve your shop floor experience. The above are just some of the best methods you should focus on right now. Even just following one piece of advice above can help you to significantly boost your store’s performance.

 

Contributed by Anna Green.