The customer shopping experience plays a key role in deciding whether to shop in a store or online. CBRE recommends focusing mainly on comfort and services which are connected with the shopping experience, as they consolidate customer loyalty, resulting in repeated visits to the store. Click and Collect services are increasingly gaining popularity, where customers order online and then pick up the goods in the store, combining traditional and online purchases.
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- THE EXPERIENCE - Up to 25% of consumers are willing to pay for better services in brick and mortar stores.
- LOYALTY - Up to 75% of customers return to stores if they fulfil their expectations.
- CLICK and COLLECT – Up to 50% of customers buy more goods in stores than they ordered online.
- While shopping online is sometimes more advantageous for the customer in terms of price, the possibility to return goods and time savings, they lose the value of the shopping experience.
- For many people, the shopping experience is a favourite hobby or pastime.
- There are more added services in shopping centres that enhance the shopping experience.
Petr Brabec, Head of Retail at CBRE, said:
"The shopping experience supports customer loyalty by encouraging repeated visits to the store. An example might be the gastronomic experience, which is increasingly gaining attention. However, business centres also offer a variety of ever-expanding services concentrated in one place. Previously unimaginable possibilities such as surgeries, energy suppliers, post offices, as well as saunas, game rooms and studies are appearing. They host a variety of interactive exhibitions, theatre performances, provide babysitting services for children, hold various educational programmes for children, youth and seniors, while services such as changing rooms, information desks, children play areas, shoe shiners, umbrella rentals, phone charging, daily newspapers offerings, purchasing transportation, stylist services and shopping consultants are becoming standard."
The change in consumer behaviour trends is obvious - customers are no longer forced to go to a store to shop, but have a choice. Therefore, it is important to provide the impetus to visit a store again. Businesses cannot afford a bad experience but should rather aim to attract the attention of customers who expect an individual approach from the vendor, as a poor customer experience from a single transaction can affect the perception of the entire shopping centre.
