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How do you get shoppers to return to your store? Inspire them

Kids’ activities, helpful staff, demos and clear signage – just some of the ways retailers can make themselves irresistible.

WHILE EVERYONE IS excited about e-commerce, shoppers still appreciate a good instore experience, it seems.

A study examining behaviours and perceptions of over 1,000 Irish shoppers has shown that their feelings about grocery shopping are particularly influenced by the environment you give them when they step over the threshold.

While large supermarket chains often have extensive research behind their decisions for their template stores, smaller and independent retailers do not always have that information at their fingertips.

The report – the second in three from the Shopper Nation 2014 series by shopping marketing specialists Visualise - is called In-Store Experience.

  • Read the whole report here>

The demographic surveyed had a wide geographical, age, family structure and gender range:

profile Shopper Nation 2014 Shopper Nation 2014

Some of the findings show where smaller retailers might be able to capitalise on the gap left by the larger supermarkets:

  • Only 27% of shoppers found their main supermarket to be fun and exciting.
  • Over two-thirds of shoppers would like for their grocery shopping to be more fun and welcoming.
  • Shoppers had some suggestions for improving their instore experience: 

- activities for kids

- clear signs

- better music

- friendlier staff and better customer service

- competitions

- improve decor and add instore demos/sampling tables

  • Recipe and meal ideas instore would encourage them to buy more to make their meals. Retailers could do this by displaying all ingredients for one recipe together in a group, and leaving recipe leaflets to hand.

The conclusion Shopper Nation comes to is that people are time-poor and appreciate help from retail outlets to address the reason why they are shopping with them. As the report says:

They are on the lookout for easy solutions to shopping needs. These needs may consist of trying to prepare daily dinners for the family, organise a dinner party for friends, and create simple lunch ideas or perhaps something as simple as snacks for a night in…It is not as simple as just grouping together what appear to be complementary products and expecting shoppers to buy them both. Shopper solutions must inspire shoppers and deliver real value to them.

How do you serve shopper needs? Have you trialled any new methods to keep customers coming back for a unique experience in your shop? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below…

SALE! Why does this one word cause all logic to go out the window?>

Are Ireland’s independent retailers a dying breed?>

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    Mute Keith Synnott
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    May 26th 2018, 8:13 AM

    Warm rain, typical Irish summer.

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    Mute Johnny Mason
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    May 26th 2018, 8:15 AM

    @Keith Synnott: It will keep the Dust down !

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    May 26th 2018, 8:24 AM

    Whats the weather like in Kiev? Come on the Pool .

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    Mute Football in the Groin
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    May 26th 2018, 9:25 AM

    @Martin Ryan: Come on the Pool? That’s disgusting and bad advice for anyone that doesn’t want to be kicked out of their hotel.

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    Mute Thomas O' Donnell
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    May 26th 2018, 10:50 AM

    @Football in the Groin: Ha ha Brilliant!

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    Mute Martin Ryan
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    May 26th 2018, 10:53 AM

    @Football in the Groin: I hear the hotels in manchester are full of scousers for tonight.

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    Mute Mick12
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    May 26th 2018, 8:33 AM

    Come on Leinster

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    Mute Rodger 5
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    May 26th 2018, 8:31 AM

    Cats & dogs in Tuam at mo, but who cares? come on Liverpool You’ll neeeeeeever walk alone.

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    Mute Sean Leonard
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    May 26th 2018, 8:44 AM

    P***ed all morning in Roscommon…… normal summer!

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    Mute Martin Ryan
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    May 26th 2018, 10:04 AM

    @Sean Leonard: ah sure Leitrim is beautiful in the rain.

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    Mute Denis McClean
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    May 26th 2018, 11:39 AM

    IW now have to defer shortage notices.

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