In an era where online stores like eBay and Amazon are enabling people to purchase products with just the click of a button, retailers need to step up their game and offer experiences that online stores might not be able to reach up to.

The secret to a great retail experience would be your products, your store, and your shoppers. Analysing these and coming up with the right customer experience strategy will do wonders for your retail business.

Need ideas on how to do that? Well, you’re in the right place. Here are some types of experiences that would keep shoppers coming back.

1. Face to face service:

What’s that one thing online stores can’t do? Dealing with a client face to face. Nothing compares to interacting with store associates who would want to help. If a customer would want a certain product for the first time, he/she might not rely on online stores as they would want to touch, feel and maybe even test the products in person.

As a retailer, what you can do is make their experience as great as possible. Offer the customer a glass of water, juice etc when they enter your store, make sure you have an employee on their watch asking them if they needed help. Make sure your employee guides them right, an honest opinion would mean a lot to the customer. For example, if a girl is walking into your store, wanting to buy hair serum she has never used before, offer her to buy a travel size at first, and demonstrate her how to use the product. The customer would walk pit satisfied and would have an impression that how powerful in-store service can be.

2. Be creative; re-invent:

Walking into a shop and seeing the same things and ambience would disappoint the customer. Prevent that by revamping your space every few weeks, so customers show up to see what’s new. It might not be practical to completely change the outlook of your store and products every month. However, taking little creative steps to make things around seem appealing and eye-catching, can add a new interactive look to your space. For example, if you ever travel to Manhattan, make sure to stop by the store “STORY” a retail concept that changes like a colourful gallery, it takes the outlook of a magazine and sells thing like any other store. Every 6-8 weeks, STORY revamps its store’s theme according to what’s trending. The concept has proven to be a great success, with top-notch brands, and retailers paying STORY $500K and even more just to be featured. So, be creative and create curiosity for your customers, with that add extra bucks into your retail account, by indirect marketing.

3. Bringing people together:

Physical spaces like classrooms, exhibition halls, etc. can bring people close in a manner that online stores or websites can’t. As a store retailer that is one of your most significant advantages, make sure to use it wisely. Figure out ways in which how you can use your shop space to bring like-minded together…

You can have a look at Books@One as an example, it’s a bookshop in Ireland that targets communities. Its owners, Brid Conroy and Neil Paul say that they don’t really just sell you a book. Books@One is a place to visit and become immersed in, where you can just relax and sip on your coffee while having a chat and a good book to read along with that. A place where you could indulge and participate in community events and be aware of your surroundings.

Innovative ideas like these make customers come together as one, which is a win-win situation for your retail shop.