How Franchisors Are Improving Their Customers’ In-Store Experience and Driving Sales

With the recent inundation of technology, customers are more inclined towards online shopping. Be it e-commerce or food, customers prefer to get things delivered at their doorstep.

However, the traditional brick and mortar stores are still relevant and in demand. But, major players are fighting hard to compete with their online counterpart. Thus, it is essential on the part of franchisors to motivate them to step out of their home and shop in-store. Improving customers’ in-store customer experience will do the trick. Here are some of the effective ways that franchisors are using to draw their customers to their stores and drive sales.

Amicable and Helpful Service

A little courtesy goes a long way– both in your personal and business life. Believe it or not, employee behaviour does affect your business. A positive in-store experience starts with an amicable, helpful staff. If the staff is able to relate to the shoppers and connect with them on a personal level and in a memorable way, the customers are bound to come back there again.  The goal is to shift the customer’s perception from employees being salespeople to seeing them as friends.

Make the Store ChildChild-friendly

One of the most critical problems parents faces while shopping is, handling their children. Most children become impatient while going out for shopping. If the franchised outlet is child-friendly and offers toys or play-area for them to have fun, the parents automatically feel relaxed and enjoy their shopping experience resulting in the potential increase in sales conversions. Moreover, if the staff is friendly towards the child, it develops a positive feeling towards the brand.

Offers an Escapist Experience

Customers take time out from their hectic schedule to indulge themselves in the experience where they can forget about the stress of daily life. This is known as an escapist experience. Consumers seek pleasant and memorable environment while shopping. Pleasant interiors &music, merchandising displays, irresistible offers and other details can help a customer relax and enjoy.

Puneet Gulati, the CEO, Barista, said, “We believe that the customers, who come to us, expect more than just plain coffee. So the whole idea is to provide a good holistic experience around a coffee shop. And that can only be possible by, where we bring experts from various walks of life in the art, culture and creativity domain and create a rich experience for our customers.”

Embrace Technology

Even if the customers are shopping in the physical store, they don’t ditch technology. Customers tend to search all about the product before coming to the decision of buying it. Thus, franchisors are now embracing technology into their outlets to increase brand experience.

For instance, Burberry recently dubbed the Burberry World Live in its store. The store includes the world's tallest retail screen, 550 hidden speakers, screens which turn into mirrors when needed and a hydraulic stage for performances. It also features RFID microchips in some items of clothing which when worn, transform mirrors into screens showing how the clothes look on a catwalk. Thus, enhancing the customer experience with the use of digital products and also generates huge revenue.