Mark Price

The Shopping Experience Gets a Tech-Up

August 27, 2010

FROM RETAILWIRE:
Consumers don't like shopping in stores as much as they once did and that's a problem for retailers with most of their dollars invested in brick and mortar outlets. What do you think are the biggest factors leading to consumers' unhappiness shopping in stores?      [more...]

I agree with Max; the reason that consumers are disliking their retail experience is because the retail experience is significantly worse now than it was in previous years. Poor customer service, rapid turnover of staff and stock-outs have led to a customer experience that drives consumers to online channels rather than encouraging them to explore the store and that stores brands across channels.

In order for stores to regain the traffic and enthusiasm of their customers, retailers need to prioritize the in-store experience.

If the product is not there, and the associates not trained in basic customer service practices, customers will flee the store, as well as the brand in total. So not only will retailers see a decline in store traffic, they will see cannibalization of their customer base by online alternatives as well.

The net of it all is that by being "penny wise and pound foolish," retailers are in fact shooting themselves in the foot. New technology is not what is needed. (Which usually goes counter to my advice in this column) Rather, they must return to the blocking and tackling and make sure they have the basics down before they can proceed to leverage any new technology. New technology does not cover up for a lack of the basics, no matter how hard you try.