Customers are demanding more from retailers and brands. The pandemic, the increase in online shopping, and the omnichannel options available showed customers that there is a better, more convenient way to shop. However, shoppers are not only looking for convenience, they are also looking for an entertaining and personalized shopping experience.
We’ve previously talked about the most important customer experience trends to follow in 2022 and in this article we are going to focus more on the power of personalization and its importance for your business. Ready to offer your customers personalized offers and a better experience in-store? Let’s talk personalization!
What is personalization?
Retail personalization means offering every customer a unique shopping journey, spiced up with offers, and limited discounts that are specially created for them. It means investing time and resources into data analysis to find who your customers are and what they want and like.
This personalization process is based on historical data and on real-time shopper intent. The main goal of retail personalization is to make customers feel unique and emotionally connected with your brand.
Personalization doesn’t mean segmentation. While many retailers, both online and physical, believe that personalization can be done by splitting customers into groups based on demographics, that’s not true. Segmentation is a good practice instead of the one-for-all approach, but it’s no longer enough for the demanding customers of 2022.
Customers are demanding a personalized experience
Shoppers wanted personalization in 2021, but they demand it in 2022. As the years change so do the demands and expectations of customers. Studies show that 71% of customers expect a personalized experience.
Competition is fierce in retail and customer loyalty is decreasing. More than 75% of shoppers mentioned that they tried out a new shopping behavior during the Pandemic. This comes to show that they are not as conservative with their shopping habits as they once were.
Even though shoppers want personalization, it’s a challenging task for physical retailers. eCommerce platforms collect first-party and third-party cookies filled with data from customers, but brick and mortar retailers don’t have the same data collection and analytics resources. However, it’s not impossible to create a personalized shopping experience in-store. Here’s how you can do it.
How to offer personalization in brick and mortar stores
1. Personalized advice from employees
One of the best ways to engage customers is to involve your customers. Shoppers are not just looking for a product, they want an experience and they feel the need to interact with other people when they go to the store. By training your employees and showing them how to upsell or cross-sell your products, they will be able to add more value to the whole shopping experience.
When employees are in direct contact with customers, they can find out exactly what the shopper is looking for and can provide tips and tricks and personalized offers.
2. Leverage technology to personalize the in-store experience
Technology can be of great help when it comes to personalization. Geofencing is used by many physical retailers. It’s simple to set up and it can have a great impact on the customer experience and on sales.
With the help of geofencing, retailers can send different offers and coupons when customers pass by an aisle. When shoppers enter the store, you can also send them special promotions that they can unlock.
3. An omnichannel approach pays off
If you have an omnichannel strategy, then you are in luck. It’s the best option for retailers that want to personalize the experience of their shoppers. If customers have an account on your platform online, you can collect data that you can later use in-store to personalize their experience.
For example, when they pass by your store, their mobile app can send a notification to show what products from their wishlist are available in that store.
Personalization in store is still a challenging task for retailers. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that physical stores have no chance of offering a personalized, engaging experience to their shoppers. By trying out some of the tips and tricks offered in this article, you will be able to provide a better shopping experience for your customers in-store. Also, you’ll be able to stay on top of the competition.
