3 Ways to Master In-Store CX Amid COVID-19

Since the inception of commerce, it seemed customers were at the mercy of retailers in how the two parties would transact. COVID-19 has flipped this: customers are now in control, choosing how they move products from store to home.

Buy online, pick up in-store is a perfect example, as retailers shift their operational model to accommodate this particular customer demand. This isn't simply to drive in-store sales or stave off competition, but to draw shoppers back into stores.

Brick-and-mortar locations have a halo effect on online sales. In fact, one report found that opening a physical store led to an average lift of 37 percent in traffic on a retailer’s e-commerce site the following quarter. You want people shopping in a physical space to get products moving in-store and online.

Creating Harmony

So how do you bring shoppers back to stores? By improving customer experience. The Home Depot did this even before COVID-19, and its efforts were so successful that Forrester awarded its wayfinding app the top spot in retail in 2019. And with COVID-19 accelerating digital-first shifts in retail, wayfinding services are now a mainstay.

In short, we’re living in a mobile-first environment where online and offline have become increasingly integrated. Consumers have become even more digitally minded, and they want to use retail apps and see which aisle a certain product is in. Not sharing this information damages the customer experience, brand engagement, and retailer reputation.

3 Ways to Keep Connected

Grocers might be able to skate by, as consumers will always need to stock their pantries. However, most other categories might not be so lucky after failing to share information in new ways. Even with the most loyal customers, an operational faux pas could sour brand perceptions — and that’s not the greatest outcome when more than 75 percent of U.S. consumers have explored new shopping behaviors during the pandemic.

If you want to keep customers, improve transparency. Enhance technology. Boost customer service. Direct customers to your mobile app, and let store associates take on a consultative role to add an experiential element. Offering up more control to consumers is often easier said than done, but there are ways to do so without losing sight of your brand or retail experience:

1. Increase departmental collaboration. 

No one would suggest someone from customer service should comprehend the inner workings of a marketing department, but a general understanding of what goes on across the aisle can help an organization achieve positive results.

Consider your marketing team: its focus is on messaging of all stripes, but does it know what’s happening in the technology realm? Conversely, IT might not understand the physical side of retail and how shoppers want to engage. IT gets the mobile piece of the puzzle, but what about how that relates to the products on your store shelves or the overall customer experience?

With this, encourage cross-departmental engagement and collaboration to help close the gap between all pieces of the customer experience. The goal here is to create a fluid experience from one channel to the next.

2. Remove friction between channels. 

Moving an online shopping trip to an in-store experience (and vice versa) is rarely a smooth transition, but consumers want the ability to cruise through purchase channels seamlessly.

Sure, it’s nearly impossible now to go from digital to physical without changing gears. But what you want is to create what we call a “Harmonic Retail” experience, where people can move effortlessly across channels. In fact, some e-commerce brands have already moved to the physical space, and many have successfully established this harmony. They’re not tied to traditional retail models and can reimagine store designs to reflect the online experience.

To start, look to direct-to-consumer brands and their interactive indoor mapping. Combine this wayfinding technology with customized curation, and you provide the best of both worlds. If that seems too difficult, why not start with flexible payment options, vending solutions or QR codes? Whatever you choose, make sure it corresponds with your brand and customer base.

3. Use in-store employees strategically. 

There’s a misconception that handing over more transactional functions to technology will result in reduced staffing. But it’s more about opening yourself up to reallocating staff. Self-checkout is increasing, for instance, and mobile checkout will follow. This allows for greater service to improve the customer experience. Furthermore, checkout is just one small component of the overall customer experience. You want the floor staffed with employees who add an extra layer of service.

The retail environment is changing dramatically — COVID-19 just moved it further along. Consumers no longer want solely transactional services. Therefore, bring the ease, convenience and responsiveness they’ve come to expect in the e-commerce space to your brick-and-mortar stores.

Gavin Bradley serves as senior creative director for customer experience at Harbor Retail, which helps retailers and brands activate Harmonic Retail™ along the path to purchase. Prior to his role at Harbor, Gavin held multiple creative director roles across retail and marketing companies. He is currently based in Los Angeles.