Social interaction.  
 
I miss it, you miss it, and customers miss it.
 
It’s almost as if we are in a parallel universe where customers are begging to talk to a salesperson.
 
Now is the time to connect with customers and capitalize on the customer experience.

WHAT’S IN STORE THIS WEEK?

  • A look into how retail is going green
  • The coexistence of physical and mobile showrooms
  • Going back to the basics of the customer experience
  • Turn your foot traffic into more sales with a 90-day free trial of Doorcounts 3.0.

FOOT TRAFFIC INDEX

Here’s a look at last week’s foot traffic compared to the same time last year.

DC FEATURE OF THE WEEK

This is where each week we highlight a feature within Doorcounts. This week’s feature is:

Product Category

Do you know what sells and what doesn’t in your store?
 
Using the Product Category feature you can see which categories result in more sales, no sales, or potential sales.
 
Choosing different periods lets you see what sells better at different times of the week or year.

FOOT TRAFFIC TRENDS

Industry insights so you can convert your foot traffic into more sales.

Retail goes green

With Earth Day in the rearview mirror, sustainability and giving back to nature are on top of many minds.  
 
In recent years, more and more retailers are making their workforce more sustainable from manufacturing to the storefront.
 
Recently, furniture startup Floyd Furniture received $15 million Series B funding to expand its sustainability efforts.
 
And as it turns out, consumers are willing to pay more for green products.
 
A 2020 study found that nearly 70% of people in the US and Canada believe it is important to buy green products.

Mobile showroom

As we’ve seen a shift in retail with more and more becoming digital, some digital trends can give physical stores an upper hand.
 
Technology such as augmented reality allows consumers to see your product in their own home, without the product physically being there.

American Furniture Warehouse has recently rolled out their virtual room planner, a 3d technology created by Marxent.
 
Thankfully, a physical and digital showroom can coexist.
 
A showroom lets people see how the product looks and feels in person, while a virtual showroom allows them to see how the furniture or mattress will look in their house.

A hybrid future

Adobe recently released their yearly Retail Trends Report that details the changes in consumer behaviors and retail as a whole.
 
One of the major findings was retail’s shift to a hybrid-store approach.
 
Although physical stores are still key to business, physical stores are now made to meet the need of both physical and online customers.
 
The survey found that 75% of retailers say that they have personalized their physical store experiences based on online behaviors.
 
Of that 75%, 39% believe personalization is important, and 36% believe it is critically important to meet customer expectations.
 
All in all, physical stores are alive and well with the help of a few digital alterations.

Back to basics

Although it’s always good to keep an eye on emerging digital trends, you can never go wrong with going back to the basics: providing a great customer experience.
 
After everyone has been isolated for so long, people are willing to take any social interaction they can get.
 
A survey of over 9,000 retailers found that greeting a customer with a personal messagerather than “how can help you” is one of the easiest ways to differentiate your customer experience from the start.
 
It’s a rare occasion that customers are looking to talk with a salesperson regardless if they have a question.  Now is the time to let your social butterfly out and connect with customers.

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

Digitalization: A look into how digitalizing your demand chain improves efficiency.
 
Sustainable returns: With over $428 billion in returns last year, it’s time to make returns more sustainable.
 
Spring shoppers: Prepare your store for the upcoming wave of spring shoppers.
 
An open letter: An open letter to customers frustrated over long wait times.

RANDOM IRRELEVANCE

Pure white: Engineers have created the world’s whitest paint, which reflects 98% of light.
 
Oxygen on Mars: The Perseverance rover has made oxygen on Mars.
 
Costco: How the Costco $1.50 Hot dog emerged as the star of Pandemic deals.
 
Mothers Day: Get ahead of Mothers Day with 23 Mothers Day gift ideas that won’t break the bank.