Is retail ready to welcome back consumers?

• T-ROC Staff
• May 3, 2022
• 3 mins read

Is retail ready to welcome back consumers?

After two years of isolation due to COVID, with limited exposure to the world except our family, we decided to venture out for Spring Break. We stayed local to avoid plane travel and minimize our exposure. I noticed that restaurants and retail stores are pretty much back to normal and operating at full capacity.  Industry analysts expect retail sales to grow between 6 to 8% in 2022—a projected total between $4.86 and $4.95 trillion. It made me wonder how retailers—particularly those that struggled even before the pandemic—were preparing to welcome consumers back to their stores.

 

Consumer journey is more omnichannel than ever before

Pre-pandemic, there was digital shopping and physical shopping—separate and distinct. But now the lines are blurred—permanently.  The omnichannel retail experience has expanded in myriad ways—most of which didn’t even exist before the pandemic. Now buy online pickup in-store (BOPIS), curbside pickup and in-store fulfillment are all part of the seamless shopping experience that keeps consumers engaged, whether on their desktop, phone, tablet or in-store. What all these offerings have in common is the focus on the customer—and meeting them where they are. Research from Google found that 98% of consumers switch devices throughout the day, so it’s important for retailers to be there for customers no matter where or how they’re shopping.

 

Personalized customer service drives in-store sales

As popular as online shopping is, consumers still like the ability to touch, feel and experience the products. And even though consumers spend time researching products and brands before they even walk into the store, a well-trained, engaging sales associate can help validate their decision and help them feel good about their purchase.  According to data from RetailEXPO, more than 60% of shoppers feel that knowledgeable salespeople influence their willingness to go into a physical store, and 75% are likely to spend more after getting quality service in a store.

T-ROC’s brand ambassador program providers retailers with sales experts who have a deep understanding of products and brands, and who can connect with customers on a personal level as much as a professional one. And for retailers who have products that require assembly—such as bikes, furniture and fitness equipment—T-ROC’s assembly program add a new level of customer service—and builds a new level of customer loyalty.

To remain competitive, retail stores need to function differently, with new technology, capabilities and mindsets. As Covid restriction ease and consumers return to in-store shopping, it’s imperative that retail has the right tools to attract and retain consumers.

T-ROC offers end-to-end solutions for retailers, manufacturers and brands. To learn more about how T-ROC supports and enhances the in-store retail experience for consumers, visit https://trocglobal.com.