If you want your store to really stand out, then you’re going to have to create a brand that stands out from all of the rest. When your customers set foot in your store, they are offering you the opportunity to hand them a powerful brand experience where you are in full control of what they experience. This goes beyond just what they see. Your visual brand is undoubtedly important and you should start from there but, beyond that, we’re going to take a look at what else you can do to have your brand emanating from every inch of your store.
The service
The most important part of your customer’s experience of the store is all down to how they interact with your team and get the help that they need. There’s no quick fix that can provide great customer service for you, you need to work for it. Customer service training for your team can help them better address queries and deal with more difficult customers. Of course, you have to make sure that you’re hiring those with some degree of natural aptitude for handling others, as well. Most importantly, treat your front-line workers as the valued team members that they are. If they’re dissatisfied, there’s a high chance that your customers will be, as well.
The sounds
A lot of stores will have the radio on when customers visit and they might be playing something as simple as the local radio. Aside from avoiding the awkward experience of shopping in total silence, this does have a subtle effect of making the store seem more approachable and modern. However, you can have much more control over the brand that you create if you take the time to think about what soundscape you want to create. You can look at some of the most relaxing music genres, for instance, to help put customers at ease, making them more likely to spend more time in the store. Restaurants and other branded spaces that lean heavily into certain cultures for their cuisine and products might be more likely to lean into music that is evocative of the same culture, too.
The smells
How your business smells can play a much bigger role in how customers see the space than you might think. Our sense of smell is one of those that are most closely connected to both our memories and our emotional reactions. As such, using the right scents can trigger something in the buyer, be it a sense of nostalgia that makes them yearn more for the space, a sense of calm that eases them into spending more time there, or even something exotic and nice that tempts them in further. Using scent diffusers in your store can help to create a truly premium shopping experience that speaks to customers through all of their senses.
The products
Your branding might be there to help you sell your products, but you can also do a lot to help your products sell themselves. Visual merchandising is the art and practice of having your products displayed in varying levels of prominence to attract buyers. Putting your most attractive and interesting products in the windows of your store and in displays throughout will attract customers to explore further, creating a curiosity that could encourage them to look at the rest of your stock, as well. Depending on the type of store that you run, visual merchandising can be used for all manner of effects, so it’s worth working with a specialist to see how you can best use the products at your disposal.
The extras
There are plenty of other little touches that you can add to your store to make it a more appealing and luxurious experience. For instance, a lot of high-end retail stores have started stocking coffee makers in their stores. Not only can you add to the sensory pleasure that the customer associates with the environment, but a warm cup of coffee is also more likely to keep them hanging around in the store for a while longer. Comfy seats can also play a big role in making the store experience more pleasurable, especially for those who might be accompanying those who are doing the shopping and could use a place to rest.
Creating a more complete branded experience can make a huge difference in creating a vibe that not only attracts customers but keeps them shopping for longer. Think about every tool at your disposal when you’re trying to complete your store brand.
