How Can Retailers Deliver Spook-Tacular Shopping Experiences This Halloween?
According to Statista, Halloween consumer spending this year in the U.S. is estimated to reach $3.5 billion, a significant jump from previous years. With spending steadily increasing, brands must take action to provide efficient service and high-quality customer experiences even during peak seasonal times.
Delivering high-quality customer experiences during the build-up to Halloween is critical for retailers, which will be looking to gain an advantage over competitors in as many ways as possible as they head towards the festive period. With the spooky season upon us, retailers need to ensure they stay ahead of the curve.
By leveraging the right technologies, retailers can meet consumer needs, deliver "spooktacular" experiences and drive long-term customer retention through short-term success this Halloween.
Creeping it Real During Peak Times
With the right in-store technology deployed, consumers can easily browse and navigate the shop floor, even during peak times. Omnichannel services allow customers to shop on their terms and utilize features such as buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) and buy online, return in-store (BORIS) to create seamless shopping experiences that help keep stores congestion-free. Not only do omnichannel fulfillment options allow customers to shop in ways that best suit their preferences and schedules, but it allows consumers to remove the risk of being left disappointed by out-of-stock items, with their purchase already confirmed with the retailer.
Omnichannel services play a significant role in building long-term trust between brands and customers and provide flexibility that caters to a shopper's availability. From a customer perspective, they can receive an efficient shopping experience that completely streamlines their time in-store. This allows in-store staff to focus more time on providing value to in-store visitors while delivering a frictionless customer experience.
Ensuring a 'Fangtastic' Customer Experience
In the rush of the festive period, retailers run the risk of neglecting high-quality customer experiences in favor of speedy service that reduces in-store traffic and maximizes sales. However, it doesn’t have to be a choice of one or the other. In fact, with the right technology, in-store associates can reduce in-store queuing and deliver bespoke interactions to customers at the same time.
Retailers equipped with mobile point of sale (POS) can empower their staff to serve customers and complete transactions from any point in the store. This significantly reduces wait times during busy periods and promotes terrifyingly good customer service.
With mobile POS capabilities, staff are no longer restricted to stationary kiosks. Instead, staff have the flexibility to meet customers on the shop floor, answer queries, and complete on-the-spot transactions.
This Halloween, staff can go the extra mile for their customers by offering exclusive deals and discounts through their CRM system. This allows staff to gain a complete view of the spending habits of individual shoppers, with access to customer data on all retail channels. Utilized correctly, this data can be leveraged to significantly enhance in-store experiences. Staff can make recommendations on products and provide tailored discounts and promotions. In-store visitors feel valued, and by integrating additional features such as loyalty rewards, retailers can turn short-term satisfaction into long-term retained business.
Just Treats, No Tricks
To ensure there are no unexpected monsters under the bed this Halloween, brands offering the latest retail technologies,, such as mobile POS and secure CRM, can provide customers with seamless and enjoyable shopping experiences during an otherwise hectic period. Not only does this allow retailers to sink their teeth into a streamlined in-store operation, but it can also help optimize revenue during busy periods and push retailers to prioritize customer needs. With the festive period fast approaching, providing efficient customer service will be paramount for retailers wanting to maximize sales towards the end of the year.
Amber Hovious is vice president of marketing and partnerships at Teamwork Commerce, a leading omnichannel solution provider.
Amber Hovious is the vice president of marketing and partnerships at Teamwork Commerce. She's responsible for building out the marketing strategy, business growth and approach as well as cultivating a wide array of partnership relationships to drive long-term success.
