In-store experience evolves with customer expectations

Customer expectations of the store have changed dramatically in the last few years as constant connectivity has changed the way consumers live their lives. Johann Wrede, senior director of solution marketing for SAP, recently discussed the evolution of the in-store experience with Chain Store Age.



1. How have customer expectations for the in-store experience changed in the last few years?

Customers look at the store as a channel. At one point, it was the only channel. Then it was one of a couple of channels, along with catalog and ordering by phone. Now with mobile and web commerce, the store is one of many channels for buying and browsing products.



Customers look across a variety of channels and recognize that each one offers something different. If they need a product right away or understand it without having to see it, they can buy it digitally. If they need to hold it, try it on or drive it, the store gives them the opportunity to go have that experience.



2. How has the in-store experience changed in the past few years?

A few years ago, people were shy about pulling out their cellphone in the store. Showrooming was just becoming a thing, which customers hesitated to do due to etiquette. But retailers have embraced the idea of showrooming for customers to get more information.



Now retailers encourage customers to visit their site or app while in their store, and interact with in-store customers online. Salespeople are told to embrace showrooming, rather than give customers a dirty look if they check a competitor’s price online and then leave.



3. What can retailers do to better serve the in-store needs of modern customers?

Retailers need to be aware the role of the store associate has changed now that customers come to the store so well-informed. For example, if a customer is buying a TV, no salesperson could hope to have information on all the different types and options of TVs that are now available.



The shopper, who has done research online, probably knows more about TVs than the salesperson, whom they view as a facilitator. The salesperson should help the customer get information with in-store devices or even the customer’s device using the retailer’s app, and pull up online coupons.

Implementing technology in the store is critical. Customers are tech-savvy and rely on their devices. Using apps and beacons, retailers can provide shoppers with information about the things they want to buy.



Also in certain segments such as fashion, some buyers have anxiety and technology can play a facilitating role. For example, smart dressing rooms can be aware of the merchandise on display and recommend different looks depending on how the customer wears them, in a non-judgmental way.



4. How do you see the in-store experience changing in the next few years?

A few years is a long time given the change of pace of the modern consumer! There are continuing improvements in the way you can identify someone in the store and leverage collective intelligence about them. A savvy salesperson can look at a customer and immediately perform a real-time analysis based on what they look at and how long they look at it for.



However, what store associates cannot get immediate access to is the customer’s buying history, or when was the last time they visited the retailer’s site and what they looked at. If they visited the site two hours before visiting the store, you can get a pretty good idea of what they came to buy.



The secret sauce is to leverage new technologies to identify customers and their histories in-store, in a way that doesn’t feel invasive. There is a lot of utility in the online experience, and retailers will try to make the brick-and-mortar experience as connective as online.