[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/01\/29\/best-retail-customer-experience\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/01\/29\/best-retail-customer-experience\/","headline":"How to create the best retail customer experience: 3 trends to know","name":"How to create the best retail customer experience: 3 trends to know","description":"Creating the best retail customer experience requires drawing on lessons learned from the pandemic and adjusting to new shopping behaviors.","datePublished":"2021-01-29","dateModified":"2022-01-31","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/scott-luton\/#Person","name":"Scott Luton","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/scott-luton\/","identifier":501,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b1af4e4336c90800c3df3518d0783d2b6ad37020ccf25b52f52c83fb797f2f3f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b1af4e4336c90800c3df3518d0783d2b6ad37020ccf25b52f52c83fb797f2f3f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/FCEE122_RetaiCX_HB.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/FCEE122_RetaiCX_HB.jpg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/01\/29\/best-retail-customer-experience\/","about":[{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/","name":"Commerce","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Commerce","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q26643"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/customer-experience\/customer-experience-general\/","name":"Customer Experience","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_experience","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q984142"]},"Future of Grocery Retail",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/omnichannel-commerce\/","name":"Omnichannel Commerce","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Omnichannel"]},"Retail Trends, Data, News",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/trends-commerce\/","name":"Trends","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fad","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q787045"]}],"wordCount":968,"keywords":["2021 Trends","Best Customer Experience","Consumer Behavior","Retail Trends"],"articleBody":"Growing up in the 1980s, big-box toy stores were my favorite places to shop. In those stores, you could touch things and play with cool new products \u2013 the best retail customer experience for a budding young consumer with a weekly allowance to spend.Since the pandemic, it\u2019s become much harder for retailers to deliver great customer experiences. Store closures and social distancing restrictions mean that fewer people can shop in person. Many companies quickly shifted to online shopping and curbside fulfillment, some more successful than others.\u00a0Creating a seamless experience isn\u2019t easy.I recently met with three industry influencers to get their thoughts on how the retail industry can build on lessons learned from 2020 to reshape the retail experience for today\u2019s consumer.Draw on new behaviors to create the best retail experience Retail research from The Economist Intelligence Unit provides insight into how COVID-19 has impacted shopping behavior. The global research surveyed 4,000 consumers of all ages.\u201cNot only have consumer shopping behaviors changed during the pandemic, with more people spending more online, but those behaviors are going to continue,\u201d says Denise Lee Yohn, a brand leadership consultant.People across all generations cited the ability to shop anywhere at any time as their top reason for enjoying online shopping. But this benefit was highlighted by 59% of Baby Boomers, 51% of Gen X respondents, and only 42% of Millennials and Gen Zers.Industry Experts on Creating a New Retail WorldA panel of industry thought leaders convened to discuss how to deliver experiences customers value. You can watch a replay HERE.Our team of influencers attest to this trend. \u201cMy parents just put a bid on a home online,\u201d says Tara Nolan, founder and CEO of The Conscious Connoisseur. \u201cThey haven\u2019t even seen it in person. That\u2019s not traditional retail, but it\u2019s an example of the impressive potential of online transactions.\u201dI can certainly relate, as members of my family also developed new shopping preferences. My mother, for example, chose to use an online grocery provider to deliver essential supplies.Looking ahead, 61% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they will maintain some of their new online shopping habits after the pandemic ends. The specific expectations differed by age, however. Millennials and Gen Z respondents said their online shopping would decrease by 4%, Baby Boomers said they would do 9% less shopping online, and Gen X expects to reduce digital buying by 6%.Unify operations for the best retail CX One of the key themes I heard at NRF 2021, a virtual event sponsored by the National Retail Federation, was the need to create a seamless customer experience, regardless of channel.Minda Harts, CEO and author of \u201cThe Memo,\u201d explained how a lack of cohesion can ruin CX. She experienced it firsthand.\u201cI recently purchased something online that I needed to return. I was going to be near one of the retail outlets, so I thought I\u2019d exchange it in person,\u201d she says. \u201cBut the store told me that I couldn\u2019t exchange an online purchase in the store. That\u2019s not seamless at all!\u201d      Buying behavior after COVID-19: e-commerce boom will remain                Once difficult to explain, digital transformation has been clearly defined by the pandemic. Buying behavior after COVID-19 will still rely heavily on e-commerce, and retailers need to be ready for that.      Many shoppers may be unable to go inside stores for months yet, but they still want to have that experience. \u201cI want to feel that all of the store\u2019s channels are interconnected, operating hand-in-hand,\u201d says Harts. \u201cCustomer service still needs to be at the forefront of the experience, even in a pandemic.\u201dIt wasn\u2019t too long ago that retailers had all of the leverage. Now the power is in the hands of consumers.To address this change, retailers need to embrace \u201cmodular commerce,\u201d says Nuno Pedro, head of the SAP Digital Commerce group.\u201cBecause customers expect to have flexibility and lots of different options, retailers need to stitch together the customer journey,\u201d says Yohn. \u201cThe idea of the customer experience is not just a marketing play anymore. It\u2019s about transforming the entire business and bringing it all together.\u201dAbove all else, innovate and adapt At NRF 2021, retailers shared how they found innovative ways to cope with the pandemic. Their stories highlight the importance of agility and flexibility for retailers today.The Entertainer, the United Kingdom\u2019s largest independent toy retailer, found itself with a week\u2019s worth of online business in a single day last spring, not long after lockdown began. Rob Wood, head of online, said the company had to figure out how to fulfill all the orders, and learned many valuable lessons along the way.      How to improve retail customer experience: Listen to The Youth                To improve the retail customer experience, top retailers are turning to their young employees for fresh perspective.      Tractor Supply Company enabled same-day delivery to all of its stores. Arts and crafts retail chain Michael\u2019s launched same-day delivery within a few weeks of lockdown and curbside delivery within just days.Book distributors added a personalized approach, delivering physical and digital copies depending on the customer\u2019s preference. Some restaurants began offering full family feasts for pickup or delivery. Others began selling and distributing specialty ingredients, such as pasta.Retailers willing to adapt and experiment with e-commerce innovations clearly made the greatest strides in delivering engaging, rewarding customer experiences. But it\u2019s not too late for companies who want to participate in the new retail world.\u201cAs the data shows, consumers recognize the convenience of online shopping,\u201d Nolan says. \u201cThe brands and businesses that take the initiative to figure it out right now are creating a playbook for their future.\u201d  Shifting retail landscapes.Varying buying behavior.What makes people click “buy”?We’ve got the answers HERE.\u00a0"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2021","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"01","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/\/01\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"29","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/\/01\/\/29\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"How to create the best retail customer experience: 3 trends to know","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/01\/29\/best-retail-customer-experience\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]