In the ongoing battle to win the hearts and wallets of customers, particularly in the face of the current financial storm, understanding your customers is critical. Providing a personalised and genuine experience is essential if you want your customers to shop in store, come back and tell others about the great experience. This will help to grow sales in what will be a challenging year ahead for all retailers.
A key way to increase sales is to understand customers better. This can be achieved by conducting customer surveys, analysing purchase data, and paying attention to customer feedback. With this information, it is much easier to tailor product offerings to better meet customer’s needs and preferences.
Another important strategy to increase sales is improving the in-store experience. Stores have to always be inviting, clean and well-organised, and it is critical to train all team members on how to provide excellent customer service. Adopting technology such as interactive displays, augmented reality and in-store personalisation allows retailers to create a more engaging and personalised shopping experience for customers.
Offering strategic special deals and promotions, such as loyalty programs and seasonal sales can help to increase foot traffic. Additionally, using digital channels to reach more customers, such as social media, email, and SMS marketing will also help.
Obtaining and analysing customer data helps to keep track of customer preferences and buying habits, and personalise their experience, therefore building strong and lasting relationships with customers.
Understanding customers’ needs and providing an excellent shopping experience, helps to drive sales and results in happier and more loyal customers – a win-win all round.
By understanding customers better, improving the in-store experience, experimenting with promotions, using technology, and building relationships with customers, retailers can drive sales and increase customer loyalty.
Roger Simpson – CEO, The Retail Solution and Author of “The Ultimate Retail Sales Experience” With over 35 years’ industry experience, Roger Simpson is recognized as Australia’s #1 Authority on customer ROI in the retail industry and as a global expert on staff coaching, customer service, and selling skills.
