Few industries have evolved as rapidly in the 21st century as the consumer retail industry. Retail organizations face new challenges every day as technology contributes to market upheaval but also facilitates new possibilities for service innovation that were mere pipe dreams just a few years ago. Retail businesses that...
Employee engagement is typically one of the most pressing concerns for retail organizations. It has massive implications for the company across numerous categories: Retail companies with highly-engaged employees perform better financially, employ a more productive workforce and have higher employee and customer satisfaction scores. However, you can’t just stick...
Since the 1940s, retailers have used mystery shoppers as a tool to evaluate and refine their customer service strategy. Touted as a way for upper level managers to find out exactly what their customers were experiencing, retailers have made mystery shopping a $1.5 billion industry that has spawned hundreds...
Gone are the days of consumers waiting around for new products to hit shelves. They're taking to the Internet to buy their favorite products as soon as possible, and retailers that fail to keep pace are watching their profit margins plummet — or closing their doors altogether. Fortunately, there's...
In today’s retail environment, heat maps often are used to understand customer behavior in relation to a store’s layout. And now, video capabilities are turning heat-mapping data up a notch. While heat mapping allows retailers to understand where customers walk within a store, video allows retailers to see how...
The secret shopper is a charismatic creature. Slinky and crafty, it presents a pair of faulty socks like a gauntlet, just willing your employees to mess up. OK, secret shoppers are people, too. But there are some big downsides to outsourcing your quality care that shouldn’t be ignored. For a...
Let’s be honest. It’s far more convenient to shop from your couch than drive to the store, find what you need, load it in the car, and then unload it when you get home. Isn’t it easier to have everything delivered to your doorstep? With recent large-scale closings by Staples and...
When you’re contemplating how your business can rise to the next level, you might turn to an internal performance audit to gather information on the overall health of your organization. After all, audits provide a way to systematically analyze how your employees and locations are adhering to policies, procedures,...
Amazon is a giant that just seems to keep getting bigger and bigger. In fact, it accounts for a quarter of all online purchases. With people shopping online for everything from paper towels to “rideable” floor scrubbers, it might seem like we’re seeing the end of brick-and-mortar stores. But don’t...
Consistently delivering a positive shopping experience for customers is one of the most important factors in building and maintaining a successful retail business. A big part of this comes from tangible items, such as store signage or packaging, and also from the intangible emotional atmosphere you create in your store...
