​Online Shoppers Are Not Leaving Brick-and-Mortar Stores: How You Can Build on This Trend

Online Shoppers Are N ot Leaving Brick-and-Mortar Stores: How You Can Build on This Trend

by Earle Bevins — President,  The Global Display Solution

Not long ago, many thought online shopping might be the death of brick-and-mortar retailer. But today’s changing retail landscape reveals that online and in-store aren’t necessarily an “either/or” decision. A recent survey conducted by comScore for UPS underscores it’s more dynamic than that. And this news paves the way for retailers to rethink their store in-store messaging  to maximize this trend. 

Not surprisingly, consumers continue to look for more online shopping options, but the 5,000 U.S. consumers surveyed also reported they still value a store’s physical locations — and this bit of news holds promise for store owners.

The comScore study reveals that the overwhelming majority of consumers — a whopping 61 percent — prefer to return items to the store, rather than use return shipping. Plus nearly half of online shoppers — 48 percent— have used ship-to-store in the past year, and 45 percent of those consumers made an additional purchase when picking up their online purchase. So, while buyers are browsing online, they are still coming into stores, and traditional retailers can benefit exponentially if they maximize these visits.

From the moment consumers arrive at your storefront to return an item or to pick up something they’ve already purchased online, effective displays and signage can better welcome the customer. This returning visit now becomes a new opportunity.  

• You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression — You spend a good deal of money attracting customers to your store, so don’t spoil it by using amateurish tape or clumsy suction cups to display promotions and store information on windows and doors. There are sleek, effective and easy alternatives that look modern and professional. So stop using tape! 

• Rekindle the connection — Make sure your displays and signage engage your customers as they enter the sales floor. Take advantage of dead ceiling space  by displaying a banner that reinforces your brand and seasonal promotions.  Poster Stands require a small footprint but can have a big impact on shoppers’ buying decisions, particularly when creative graphics are used. Finally, welcome your customers by moving inviting displays such as flowers to the front end.

The good news is we know buyers aren’t abandoning brick-and-mortar stores even though online purchases are growing.  The data shows customers are returning to the store to return or pick up merchandise and this is a huge opportunity.

Make sure to revisit your customer service operation to make sure your perspective is about embracing, rather than enduring, the returning customer.  And, rethinking how you display in-store information to consumers can make a real difference in how you not just survive, but thrive, in the digital age.

Earle Bevins is the President of The Global Display Solution, headquartered in Portland, Ore., with a distribution center in Chicago.