Competition in the retail industry is fiercer than ever. Between new ecommerce sites popping up and the rise of subscription services, consumers have plenty of choices when it comes to where and when they spend their time and money.
To stay competitive, you need to give shoppers compelling reasons to purchase in such busy retail environments.
Here are HIGHJAM’s 5 top tips in how to create shopper experiences that increase sales and build brand awareness and advocacy.
1. Use Brand Ambassadors not salespeople
No one wants the hard sell anymore; shoppers can find information and products they need online and so the role of the instore salesperson needs to evolve with the times.
Use Brand Ambassadors in store as your consultants. Allow them to engage shoppers to find out their needs first, allow the Ambassadors to be your shoppers friend. They should relate to each shopper and support the person purchasing where required.
These staff are often on the front line of the instore brand experience – so get it right through a tailored selection process. Also think about how you train, develop and motivate them. Ensure they can relate to your brand and your shoppers to connect with them in a memorable way.
2. Let shoppers have some hands-on fun
As mentioned before, our audience are looking online more and more often to find out about new products and services that they need. So, when you do engage with shoppers face to face, this gives you the chance to have some hands-on fun. Allow consumers to experience your product, don’t leave them sitting inside boxes on a shelf. Figure out how you can present your merchandise in unique and experiential ways. Can you sample the product? Allow them to touch, play and trial your product. When consumers can get a feel for a product and try before they buy, this results in higher sales as consumers are reassured of their choice before purchasing.
3. Make sure your physical and digital space work together
If you have an online store/presence (and you should!) see to it that your ecommerce site works hand in hand with your physical location(s). Remember, modern consumers are using multiple channels and devices in their shopping journeys. Aside from shopping in-store, they’re using their phones, computers, and tablets to research and buy products.
For this reason, it’s important to not just have a presence on different channels, but you need to enable customers to shop across physical and digital channels seamlessly.
4. Provide a compelling offer
So why should shoppers purchase your product above your competitors? It may be that you have a unique product above all others in your category. If so… lucky you! Make sure that you shout about it and have clear messaging through engaging point of sale, on pack design and in-store Brand Ambassadors, all of which can clearly communicate this to your audience.
If, however, your category is crowded with lots of other brands vying for the shopper’s attention, consider a special offer to stand out initially and to get consumers into a purchasing pattern with your product. Various promotional marketing offers can be used to attract new consumers, from price discounts & offers to competition mechanics such as free prize draws or gifts with purchase.
5. Create immersive shopper experiences
If you want to attract shoppers and make a long-lasting impression, create an experience that envelops customers and grabs their full attention.
An Experiential experience in- store increases consumers dwell time, and through this additional time you can spend longer with each shopper, communicating complex and lengthy messages so that your product is truly understood.
An immersive experience instore also makes your product memorable. Shoppers are more likely to remember your brand when they connect it with a positive experience that they have had. Consider using an experience such as virtual reality (VR). VR enables shoppers to experience your brand in an entirely unique way. It allows shoppers to virtually try before they buy and therefore increases awareness and likelihood to purchase.
