Mastering the
Customer Experience.

Let the customer experience revolution begin. I remember my mentor Mary Scott telling me way back in 2000 that it was the “Experience Economy”. So here we are in 2021 and the retail experience is now more important than ever. Do we really want to bump elbows in a crowded store? Do I feel comfortable picking up a product or laying on a bed in a mattress store? Ugh. Not really. I get kinda gun shy at Whole Foods trying to pick out avocados. And I recently did a series of mattress store visits on behalf of Layla Sleep. It was “No Bueno”.

Customer experience has now become more of a digital thing as we grasp our cell phones 24/7 and use it to cross check pricing, competitive products, read reviews, and watch demo videos. I can’t imagine assembling anything without watching a Youtube video (about 10 times on average).

There are plenty of reasons to make your customer experience a priority. If you can master this sacred customer journey, you can make a significant difference in your customers’ lives — and your bottom line.

Let’s review the good, the bad and the epic fails in retail. Why are big box retailers closing their doors? Ever walk into a SEARS store in the last 5 years? If you did, it was probably not the experience that you had at Target or Costco. And now that Amazon has “everything” – why bother? Why should I search around a cluttered, dimly lit store – only to find out that there are no sales staff around – and the overall experience made me question the existence of a customer experience agenda.

Today, consumers expect seamless digital experiences across all channels. This is why for retailers a digital transformation plan has now become more of an essential rather than having the option to choose it or not because with this they can drive value both brands and customers while also creating competitive advantage as well which would then lead to growth in their company.

Our friends at Layla Sleep say that it’s important to cover all of these bases:

• Create a single view of the customer
• Re-think the digital and in-store customer experience
• Create and adopt new business models
• Build a stronger, more resilient supply chain
• Establish a seamless fully integrated front to back-office operation

“The combination of the high-quality product, seamless buying experience, and top-notch service are the key to winning.”

For many small companies, the time has come to enter the digital world. It is easier than ever for a business owner or entrepreneur to build an e-commerce website and start making money on their own terms with little investment needed in physical operations. This means that being able to create something out of nothing without limitations allows you as a company head or decision maker more flexibility when it comes down how much risk your company will take financially while still maintaining its reputation through quality customer service throughout all channels including phone, chat, email and social media platforms like Facebook Messenger!

I can imagine that Instagram and Tik Tok will emerge as a leading “video” experience for shoppers in 2021. Yes, it’s already happening but watch for a convergence of digital and physical retail as this is a way to humanize, demonstrate and show products “working” in the world.

Despite the influx of e-commerce, brick and mortar stores are still where most transactions take place. With thousands upon thousands of store closures in 2017 alone, many well-known brands have opened even more locations to keep up with demand for their products.

These days, stores are becoming increasingly indistinguishable from the digital world. From ship-from-store to BOPIS and curbside pickup, a rapidly growing percentage of what we call “e-commerce” actually involves shopping in store rather than online! Oh yeah, BOPIS — Buy Online Pickup In-Store. Or how about the reverse…“look at in store and buy online?” While retailers with physical locations have embraced omnichannel strategies, especially to compete with online only shops, brick-and-mortar stores are still figuring out reverse logistics and how to process all the returns.

Despite all the awful outcomes from this pandemic, if you sold “essential” items during it, then congratulations. You’ve done better than most people in any other industry. Nowhere is that more true than with grocery stores and supermarket chains; they have seen a huge boom in sales thanks to customers’ shift away from eating out to cooking at home as well as their adoption of delivery services like click & collect for groceries and restaurant food alike.

Brick-and-mortar is still an important part of any healthy retail strategy. And while that may be true, there are a few things to consider going into the next year: people will want to get outside and do some in-person shopping when it’s safe for them too as opposed to online purchasing where they can stay at home or work during down times like lockdowns; brick-and-mortar stores allow customers the opportunity of being able try on clothes before buying them unlike with websites such as Amazon which require one size fits all sizing charts (which means you have no idea if something looks good until after ordering).

The traditional retail model was already under immense pressure to transform. Now, the brick-and-mortar store is just one touchpoint in a customer journey that starts before they even step foot inside. This year has shown us how physical stores need to better serve changing demands for customers now requiring more flexible shopping alternatives than ever before – from ordering online pickup at your local warehouse or drive-thru grocery options all on their own schedule with time off work during business hours if necessary!

Clever retailers are adjusting their bricks and mortar presence to be more ‘experiential’, with mobile pop-up stores, interactive displays, and a physical store better integrated with online shopping.

Brands are seeking a way to make their physical stores more interactive and compelling for customers. With the help of digital innovation, retailers will be able to create an experience that merges online with offline shopping seamlessly. The new digitally enabled traditional brick-and-mortar environment opens up exciting opportunity for brands as they can now offer in store surprises and delightful moments which would never have been possible before!

So, if you see some strange stuff on the showroom floor — these new retail experiments will continue to evolve as we try to define the purpose and value of retail experiences.