Seamless, Sensing, Systematic: The Keys to Creating an Intuitive In-Store Experience

Online shopping took the retail world by storm, especially during the pandemic when in-person shopping was limited. But brick-and-mortar retail is experiencing a resurgence, and not just for those who discovered the benefits of online shopping during lockdown.

Despite their status as digital natives, a whopping 97 percent of surveyed Gen Z respondents shop in-store, according to a 2023 report by the International Council of Shopping Centers. This is a significant percentage, considering this age group makes up approximately 40 percent of global consumers.

Additionally, worldwide adoption of e-commerce has exacerbated the theoretical distance between in-store and online shopping. Like e-readers and paper books, most consumers have settled on which they prefer: analog or digital. As a result, today’s retailers tend to focus on optimizing one experience or the other.

Meanwhile, the key to a more intuitive experience is to effectively merge these avenues, creating an omnichannel experience that maximizes value through consistently productive brand interactions.

Crafting Today’s In-Store Experiences

Especially in terms of the brick-and-mortar experience, simply solving the customer’s problem is no longer enough to remain competitive in the retail landscape. According to RETHINK Retail, the post-pandemic consumers of today “crave the high-touch, personalized, in-store experience they’ve missed” as they venture back to physical stores. They don’t just want to purchase a product; they want to have a visceral experience.

For the next generation of shoppers, experience is the new product. When retailers shift their attention exclusively to their online storefronts, they’re missing out on an enormous opportunity to capitalize on in-store experiences.

Unfortunately, the following stubborn headwinds tend to prevent brick-and-mortar’s full potential:

• Capturing customer share of wallet depends not only on in-store experience quality but also its consistency.
• Associates are increasingly overworked and lack efficient tools to perform and advance in their roles.
• Decision makers are missing critical data to drive actionable intelligence and meaningful outcomes for the business.

Overcoming these obstacles means rethinking in-store experiences in the context of a digital retail world. Whether the initiative is leveraging AI and smart technology or integrating new management systems, retail success is next to impossible without a tangible plan for digital transformation and alignment.

Breaking Down the Three S’s

Pioneering the next generation of brick-and-mortar shopping relies on the creation of intuitive experiences, not just for your customers but for every stakeholder. This means retailers must skillfully connect traditional and digital channels by leveraging modern technology to harness the power of their business data. But how?

Bridge the gap by prioritizing these three key elements of the in-store experience:

1. Seamless

First and foremost, retailers should aim for each customer’s entire experience, from first touch to follow-up, to be seamless—that is, buyers are able to effortlessly complete a streamlined purchase with little to no friction. At the customer level, a seamless experience means minimal waiting and prompt resolution or escalation of their issue.

Whether the transaction occurs in-store or online (or both), a seamless customer experience suggests peak convenience, accessibility, and personalization. It also assumes consistency. A truly omnichannel experience effectively blurs the line between traditional and digital channels, connecting capabilities and features that limit friction and maximize efficiency at every touchpoint.

2. Sensing

The idea of catering to specific feelings, perceptions, and needs is another essential element for creating a customer experience that’s intuitive. Of course, this isn’t news—most retailers know they should provide shopping experiences tailored to customer demands. But these insights aren’t always clear or easy to pinpoint, and naturally, these needs change.

To combat this, retail stores must leverage in-context interactions to gather live data that simultaneously contributes to an enhanced in-person visit and informed associate engagement. Every activity that occurs between a customer and an associate (or business interface) during an interaction is a data point that can be fed back into the enterprise.

These descriptors, such as preferences and sentiment, are analyzed to enable experiences that are more productive and enjoyable for employees and buyers alike. Consequently, the high quality of these experiences translates directly into higher returns.

3. Systematic

Finally, once retailers have nailed down how to cultivate an experience that’s both seamless and sensing, they must ensure consistency by establishing a system for maintaining service quality. The value of positive experiences is multiplied when brand interactions consistently live up to customer expectations and empower associates.

Achieving this level of synergy requires retailers to implement digital automation and intelligence for better decision-making at every stakeholder level. The right technology delivers essential information to the appropriate party. Customers know what to expect, associates know how to help, and leadership understands their audience’s needs. This knowledge advantage effectively furthers the enterprise by optimizing operations through a continuous cycle of integrated data capture, analysis, and application.

How to Improve the Customer Experience in Retail Stores with Qtrac

The evolving role of e-commerce has caused a surprising but opportunity-rich resurgence in the area of brick-and-mortar retail. Nowadays, the experience you provide is as much a retail product as the items or services you sell. Optimizing the delivery of this product lies in making it seamless, sensing, and systematic, a cyclical process that feeds back into an enjoyable (and productive) in-store experience.

Qtrac’s system is designed to maximize this data loop, not only creating valuable intelligence to improve the enterprise but also fostering a sustainable relationship with customers. Keep advancing your business while keeping everyone satisfied with a virtual queue management system from Qtrac.