How to Improve the Customer Experience in Retail Stores

In the digital age, it can be difficult for brick-and-mortar retailers to compete with the convenience of e-commerce websites. If you run a traditional retail store and want to draw customers in—and keep them coming back—you must focus on ways to improve the in-store experience for customers that entices them to make a purchase in person.

There are a lot of methods out there to create an incredible in-store experience, but not all of them are equally effective or easy to implement. To find the best ones, including those you can easily put into practice in your own store right away, we asked real successful entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question:

Q. What's one creative way I can transform my in-store experience for customers that will keep them coming back?

1. Offer a Unique Experience

Analyze the typical shopping process your customers go through, then find a way to bring a unique experience to your store. It could be a way to interact with the products in an unexpected way, something that connects back to your unique value proposition, or a way to bring your website to life. If they leave having experienced something enjoyable and unique, it sets you apart. —Travis Nagle, Stem and Viesso

2. Start With Your Employees

In-store experiences start with your staff. Beyond the appearance of the store and the technologies used to optimize it, investing in training your employees and activating customer touchpoints is incredibly important to the success of your brand. — Kyle Wong, Pixlee

3. Make the Store Kid-Friendly

If my 5-year-old and 7-year-old are having fun in the store, then I'm also having fun. And if I'm having fun, we might buy something. By contrast, if the store doesn't have anything for kids (a chalkboard, a train set, a TV, crayons) then we won't be staying long enough to buy anything. Even more importantly, if the staff is friendly to my kids, then I have a great feeling about the brand. — Brandon Bruce, Cirrus Insight

4. Add a Service Layer to the Products You Sell

One of my favorite in-store experiences is Fjallraven, which offers free "reconditioning" of products in-store. Simply bring in a bag or pair of pants that need to have the waterproof coating reapplied and they'll tackle it for you right there. It's an extra layer of customer service that goes a long way to attract customers back into the store. —Ross Beyeler, Growth Spark

5. Improve Your Speed

There are a few specific attributes for in-store layouts that have been tried, tested, and proven successful. Speed, cleanliness, and product selection are on this list, with speed coming in as the biggest game changer. In today's fast-paced society, where customers expect immediate assistance and instant gratification, the last thing you want to do is have a customer waiting in line to pay. — Andy Eastes, SkuVault

6. Reduce Friction

Start by reducing friction. Once a customer knows what they want, help them move through the path-to-purchase as easily as possible. This seamless transition is what’s offered online today and is increasingly expected elsewhere. Capitalize on an in-store’s biggest strength: immediacy. Don’t dilute it. — Hongwei Liu, mappedin

7. Reward Your Regulars

To make a long lasting impression and create an environment where others want to be on the inside, get creative. Host special invitation events where customers can see behind the curtain. For a restaurant, that could mean a cooking class hosted by your chef, a special wine tasting, or the ability to reserve tables on weekend nights. — Curt Revelette, Jonathan's Grille

8. Host Events in Your Store

Come up with some sort of event that would bring customers to the store for a reason they normally wouldn't. If you're a small toy store, host a face painting day or schedule time to read books to kids. If you're a wine and liquor shop, schedule a taste testing—you can find something for any type of store. Use these events to collect email addresses or invite customers to your social media pages. —Andrew Saladino, Kitchen Cabinet Kings

9. Improve the In-Store Experience by Using QR Codes

Using QR codes to give customers extra information about your products, or even about specials that aren't otherwise advertised, can keep them coming back to see what's new. For example, if you're selling kitchen implements, a QR code could provide excellent, chef-recommended recipes that customers value. Or customers can scan QR codes to learn about 10% off sales involving certain merchandise. — Nicole Munoz, Nicole Munoz Consulting

10. Shift Product Locations to Encourage Discovery

Customers often only go to those places in your store where they are used to finding what they always get. Move that merchandise and put new products in those places so they will discover something new and interesting. — Cynthia Johnson, Bell + Ivy

11. Select the Right Level of Music

Something as simple as music selection and sound design within a store can completely change a shopping experience. Ensure your store’s sound levels are uniform and consistent, and choose an engaging soundtrack for your brand. A soundtrack not only creates a mood and experience within a store, but also creates a culture around the brand. — Justin Lefkovitch, Mirrored Media

12. Build Community to Improve the In-Store Experience

New products, interactive displays, demos and workshops: These are all great things to do. But the No. 1 thing that will keep people coming back, as strange as it sounds, is community. People like to hang out where they are welcome, and many are starved for human interaction. A calm, safe, easygoing environment makes it easy for them to come and go more frequently—and they will. — Ismael Wrixen, FE International