As the popularity of online shopping increases, more and more brick-and-mortar stores are having trouble ringing the till. But there are ways to bring those customers back into the store, says Scott McLaren …
Give them an experience they can only get IRL (‘in real life’, in digital parlance). Use these four in-store benefits to encourage customers to pay your store a visit:
1. Vigilant customer service
There’s nothing like a helping hand – it’s what separates the shopping experience at many high-end stores from the rest. When a sales rep is available to answer questions in a quick and friendly manner, customers appreciate the personalised attention and the ability to make more informed purchase decisions because of it.
Delivering a personalised customer experience is a huge advantage for your in-store business, and can urge your customers to return time and again.
2. In-store demonstrations and take-home trials
There are only so many online reviews a person can read about a product without actually seeing it and giving it a try. As such, in-store demonstrations and take-home trials are an excellent way to build rapport with customers. With this benefit, they can formulate opinions before committing to a purchase. And, by offering product trials, whether in-store or at home, customers recognise you’re not just in it for the quick sale – you’re making your store a reliable source of information.
3. Price matches
Online retail giants like Amazon have customers conditioned to visit their site first when looking to make a purchase at the lowest price. But overcoming these giants is simple – offer price matches to customers who find the same product at a lower price.
By getting the customer in store for the price match, you’ll not only be meeting the needs of their budget, but you’ll also be exposing them to other benefits we’ve mentioned, like demos and excellent customer service.
4. Warranty solutions
When making an online purchase, many customers opt out of extra protection for their purchase. Even if they do get extra protection, full coverage details often go unexplained, causing potential trouble down the line.
By offering in-store warranty solutions, your expert salespeople have the opportunity to completely explain how a protection plan can benefit customers and save them money in the long run.
Scott McLaren is the CMO of Fortegra Financial Corporation, a Tiptree Financial Inc. company. Fortegra and its subsidiaries comprise a single-source insurance services provider that offers a range of consumer protection options including warranty solutions, credit insurance, and specialty underwriting programmes.
