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Omnichannel: The strategy for driving exceptional customer experiences in retail

John Federman CEO of JRNI, explains how omnichannel delivers exceptional customer experiences in retail, where brands can deepen their engagement and loyalty with customers.

Photo by istock.com

October 28, 2019

By John Federman CEO of JRNI

At the heart of any business, especially in retail, is creating exceptional customer experiences. After all, consumers base their relationships with retailers off their impressions — positive experiences can generate more loyalty, while negative experiences can tarnish brand reputation.

What do consumers require as part of delivering positive customer experiences? Nearly 80% of U.S. consumers say that speed, convenience, knowledgeable help, and friendly service are the most important elements of positive customer experiences, according to PwC.

When customers have positive experiences with retailers, they'll inevitably purchase more from them and become loyal to them. When retailers can move online consumers in-store by providing them with enriching experiences, basket size can increase by 3X to10X because they have more opportunities to interact with products and services, or exposure to accessory and complementary items. Interestingly, consumers spend more per month in physical stores than online — about $1,710 per month in-store versus $247 per month online, according to Rutgers University.

How can retailers create compelling customer experiences that will ultimately help them increase their conversions? They must incorporate an omnichannel strategy that puts their customers at the center by allowing them to engage whenever, wherever, and on whichever device they please.

The impact of appointments

One of the best ways retailers can create incredible experiences is by allowing customers to schedule in-store appointments online. With appointments, retailers put convenience into their customers' hands by allowing them to select the best times to meet with in-store staff for recommendations about products or services they're interested in purchasing. For example, in-store stylists can meet with customers who visit for suit fittings by giving them their advice for the top brands and suggestions for the best styles. This creates exceptional customer experiences because of the one-on-one value of appointments.

With appointments, in-store staff have opportunities to upsell and cross-sell customers, giving shoppers more choices to buy complementary items. I mean, what's a suit without shoes and a coordinating tie! This generates tremendous loyalty and a service-focused, rather than sales-focused, interaction. In fact, 64% of consumers said they typically spend or invest more in products or services after in-person appointments, according to JRNI's Modern Consumer Behavior Research.

The influence of events

Not only do in-store events help drive more traffic, but they specifically focus on consumer experiences. Retailers can host VIP gatherings, preview sales, or new product launches that allow customers to experience items before they're released to the general public. And there's good news for retailers: 60% of consumers would consider visiting stores more often if retailers improved in-store events, according to JRNI's Modern Consumer Research. Hosting events, retailers can expose customers to additional products, allowing them to interact with items before purchasing them or showing them goods that they might not have initially thought of buying before arriving in-store. And they can leverage events to make customers feel special through inclusion in exclusive offerings.

Events also attract devoted customers and cultivate communities. When customers are gathered with other like-minded shoppers, retailers can capture their feedback about products or services, showing that their voices are critical for innovation and that they value their feedback. Holding events can change brands' relationships with customers and allow stores to evolve from places that conduct transactions to ones that foster communities with brand advocates.

The power of personalization

The pinnacle of creating exceptional customer experiences is loyalty, which manifests from personalization. Retailers can honor customers with personalized rewards to show them that they care about them. With today's technology, retailers can gather insights about customers' previous shopping habits, purchases, or services consulted, so they can tailor recommendations and offers especially for them.

When retailers make in-store shopping experiences all about their customers, they can have deeper conversations with their customers to further understand them – and consumers mandate that from them. That's why 63% of consumers expect personalization as a standard service and believe that they're only recognized as an individual when they receive special offers, according to RedPoint Global. When retailers use personalization to create even better customers experiences, they'll achieve more loyalty and drive more conversions.

Omnichannel delivers exceptional customer experiences in retail, where brands can deepen their engagement and loyalty with customers. Most important, omnichannel increases conversions — a critical business goal for retailers, especially in today's competitive market where customers have a myriad of options and demand superlative service. And if customers don't receive that type of service, they'll simply move on to competitors.