Category: Retail & Grocery Customer Experience Research

The shift in the way that retail associates and customers interact in today’s store environment is dramatic.  Before, customers simply entered the store, interacted with a salesperson, found the right item, and paid for it at list price.

Now, because consumers capture competitive product details swiftly with the tap of a mobile device, they challenge store employees to provide popular products at the lowest price. Customers call the shots, while retail managers do their best to guide employees toward effective interaction with this sophisticated segment.

Elaine Buxton, President of Confero, recently spoke with Software Advice about this topic, in the  article “Empowering Associates to Assist the Educated Consumer.” She comments on the major challenges of arming employees

The holiday season brings out more examples of how competitive the retail landscape is in a sluggish economy.   For example, stores start well before the traditional start of the holiday season to advertise offers.  They hope that by starting earlier, they will entice customers to purchase from them, as opposed to the competition.  Another reason stores increase early efforts is the fear that customers will be more reluctant to spend as weeks go by.

Developing creative ways to capture more sales and increase customer satisfaction is essential for retail companies during tough economic times, and especially during the holidays.   Borders Books recently announced an initiative to win more customers with its “Customer Commitment.”  In an effort to capture the sale, even if the store does not have the item in stock, Borders makes an offer to customers to find the item online and ship to them with free shipping.    A low-price promise is also part of the Customer Commitment, because Borders promises to match a competitor’s advertised, in-store price. 

As consumers continue to carefully contemplate how to spend limited dollars, industries respond by listening to customers more carefully and interacting with them in creative ways. Retail stores look for innovative ways to draw customers in and keep them engaged. Macy’s recently hit the mark in this area when they launched an interactive “Magic Fitting […]

Preparing your stores for the busy holiday sales period is top of mind right now.  In addition to ensuring appropriate inventory and staffing levels, how do you train and evaluate employees before this peak season begins?  To make the season the most productive, guide employees on expectations now to add impact to your bottom line.  If you want to learn more about the actual impact of employee sales behaviors to the bottom line, use Confero’s Return on Investment Calculator.