Different retail stores offer different experiences to shoppers. This is not a new phenomenon, especially since the transformation in retailing, which has led to many changes in the customer experience. Due to this transformation, most buyers have started to use technology to make their shopping experiences.
The best way to assess a retail shop’s atmosphere “Qi” and customer shopping experience is to look from the customer’s point of view. So, I did a mystery shopping visit last week.
What were my expectations when I visited the shops?
When I first learned about the transformation in the retail industry, I was fascinated by the idea of improving the customer experience for shoppers. This included providing new retail experiences that would make shopping more enjoyable and helpful. My expectation of physical stores was that they would introduce themselves and increase their exposure, helping customers decide on which products to purchase. Based on the new retail concept, I looked into the concepts they implemented to help customers understand the existence of the new retail concept and how it assists them when shopping in physical stores.
Experience With First Shop
The first store I visited was more traditional in terms of retailing. As I entered the store, a salesperson greeted me and put her phone down from her desk. And, I told her that I was looking for a television with multiple functions for use in the office. The explanation was informative as she gave me a recommendation which is the best product for me. Overall, the experience was considered ok, however I found little information about their online shop. I could not find any Point of Presentation (POP) that shows me that I can buy stuff online from them. There is no explanation regarding their online store from the employee of that first store.
If I was a genuine customer, after testing the products in an offline shop, I may want to do further research or get a 2nd opinion from my family or friends. Most likely I may want to refer to more information from an online website or even purchase online. However, I didn’t feel like I had that option or convenience to purchase online.
Experience With Second Shop
The next store I visited was more in line with the new style of retailing compared to the first store. The salesperson greeted me at the door and was ready to assist me with anything I needed. When I entered the shop, I felt more comfortable because the lights were brighter, there were more products or brands to choose from, and there was ample space for me to walk around the shop.
Not only am I able to get information for different products, I liked how the salesperson pinpoints the strengths and shortcomings of different brands, which could help me to decide better without comparing between different websites on my own (so it saves my time!). Also, I get to know the benefits of the shop’s loyalty program, which entices me with a lot of rewards. After seeing many POPs about online shop, the salesperson even showed me how easy it was to buy products from their online store using their app, which was really helpful for customers who wanted to shop from the comfort of their own homes, like me who just like to laze around and shop within my fingertips.
If I were to choose which shop to visit again, the second shop is definitely where I would go, as I have better shopping experience here. That’s my point of view as a customer. In order to manage a retail shop, having retail knowledge is not enough. One of the good practices every retailer must practise is to think and feel like a customer. How would they feel when they shop inside the retail shop? What could we do to improve such an experience? So, this is where the training for the employee comes in clutch.
In SH Retail Academy, we help employers and employees to understand the importance of new retail concepts and how to incorporate this concept to run retail operations. If you would like to improve managing different aspects of retail operations, improve customer experience or boost your store sales, check out our Retail Operation program.
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Written by Amir Ashraff
SHRA Corporate Trainer
Amir has a strong passion for teaching and business handling gives him a lot of experience in teaching, training, retailing, business management, and operation management. He loves to learn new skills and gaming.
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