How to build deeper relationships with your customers

Initiating closer ties with your customers can be as simple as writing their name on coffee cups, but it can make the difference in billions of dollars in revenue. By employing personalizing service, Starbucks is driving higher profits than any other coffeehouse worldwide, despite being established years after some of its competitors. Practices like these can make a customer feel much more than just a step towards another transaction.

However, we're sure there's a lot more that has driven the company's success than a black Sharpie. Nonetheless, there's no second-guessing that when consumers receive a personalized experience, they're more likely to return for more. So, how can Independent retailers build deeper relationships with their customers? That's what we'll uncover here.

In-store experience: The missing piece to your retail puzzle

It can be easy to forget the magical experience of in-store shopping with the ease of making a few clicks and buying online. The abundance of choices in the market have consumers surfing, browsing, exploring, and examining way more than they are purchasing. 

This is where a great in-store experience gives retailers an edge. Offline selling isn’t just limited to selling the product. In the store, you are selling:

Purpose & Brand Story: A retailer needs to clearly state what they offer. Is their store the first in town to feature ethically sourced clothing. Whatever the purpose may be, the store must clearly communicate it.

Curating The Mood: Personal care brands usually mesmerize customers with their scents and soothing music to communicate the mood they'd feel if they were to use their products. Home improvement and decor stores will set up a cozy vibe with plush couches, and bright walls and give a glimpse of a dream home in the process.

Visual Merchandising: Visual merchandising is the practice of using products, lighting, and other elements to attract customers and keep them engaged. It's also the art of placing products strategically, where the customers will be more drawn to them. For instance, making the most of the visual display with mannequins or placing items under $5 at check-out.

Take Decathlon, the sports goods retailer, as an example of a company that utilizes all three elements to its advantage. Most of their stores allow you to play with their gear and equipment – regardless of whether you'll walk home with it.

The store also has an outdoor sports aesthetic, with even their employees wearing sports jerseys as their uniform. In a Decathlon store, you'll see people hitting it at the Ping-Pong table, cruising through on a bike, or resting inside a camping tent. Through this in-store experience, Decathlon is selling adventure. What is your store selling?