In an ever-more-personalised retail world, where shopper loyalty is driven by the overall shopping journey, businesses big and small need to invest in a holistic customer experience strategy to keep up with customers’ interest. So what key elements should retailers consider when building a sensorial experience?
Create the right atmosphere
To tell your brand’s story and take your customers on a journey they’ll want to repeat, it is imperative to create an enjoyable atmosphere that showcases your brand and the message you are trying to convey.
Recent research from Mood Media found that 85% of consumers are more likely to revisit a store that has an enjoyable atmosphere and one third declare that their purchase decisions have been influenced by feeling in the “right mood” – helped by the store atmosphere.
What do we mean by enjoyable atmosphere? Everything – from music, scent to digital signage and POS. Music plays a particularly vital role in putting customers in the right mind-set and mood to shop, with 80% asserting they like hearing music in store. This number jumps up to 90% with Millennials and Generation Z.
Engage and connect
Today’s shoppers are having their service expectations reshaped by technological advancements, and will become increasingly unlikely to engage with brands that don’t provide them with the right experience.
A simple and effective way to establish a connection with your customers is via their mobile phone. In fact, global research conducted by Mood Media revealed that more than half of customers would be enthused by the possibility of receiving redeemable promotions on their mobile while in store. This is particularly true for British customers, who topped the poll for using their mobile phones to see whether they can find products for a cheaper price elsewhere.
The research also found shoppers are most involved when they get to engage with the store itself, helping to shape their own shopping experience. Indeed, more than 75% of consumers surveyed expressed the wish to be able to actively influence the store’s playlist.
Installing innovative and engaging features and systems will help position your store at the forefront of the sector, differentiate you from the competitors and truly connect with your audience.
Your staff reflects your brand
Despite the growth of recent technologies, customers still need and value human interaction. Mood’s research discovered that one quarter of women and almost 40% of men listed the ability to speak to a shop assistant as a top-three reason for shopping in physical stores.
Your staff is the very core of the store – creating the first and lasting impression of the brand and overall experience.
A recent study in France highlighted that 93% of employees consider music to be a real motivator and much prefer to work in a store that plays music, rather than a silent one. Engaged and upbeat staff can only ever have a positive effect on customers.
Mood Media offer experiential design and marketing solutions, helping brands connect with their customers by providing music, digital signage, scent, integrated audio visual, and interactive mobile marketing solutions that help to improve customer experience.
