[Infographic] The Ultimate Checklist for the Ultimate Retail Environment

Retail is evolving, and the rise of e-commerce is at the root of the change. With 80% of US customers now shopping online, e-commerce revenue grew 12.6% between 2016 and 2017.

Despite this, brick and mortar is still the preferred way to shop for 63% of Americans.

The preference for brick-and-mortar boils down to three key reasons:

• 78% want to try a product in person
• 77% prefer getting advice from people they know
• 74% want to be able to read online product reviews; 45% of them do this with their phone while in store

Although the prevalent demand for brick-and-mortar is good news for traditional retailers, it is important to point out that customer expectations are shifting. Consumers are increasingly expecting the ‘whole product’ shopping experience: a superb in-store customer service paired with the full suite of digital retail shopping options. To deliver a customer experience that meets these changing expectations, retail managers should strive to uncover new opportunities and optimize existing ones to make every in-store visit worth the trip.

Fortunately, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to create an excellent retail customer experience. Many solutions already exist, meaning it’s only a matter of putting them together in a way that works for your business and customers.

Our latest infographic covers nine essential ways to help you build a customer experience strategy that can drive customer satisfaction and sales: