When it comes to shaping customer behavior, grocery stores, convenience stores, and other businesses often focus on product and price—but small environmental elements can have a strong impact.
Here are 10 subtle, often overlooked elements that can encourage positive customer interactions and drive sales.
1. In-Store Music:
The choice of in-store music can subtly influence customer mood and spending. Research shows customers spend approximately 42% longer in a store when background music is playing, and sales increase an average of 37% when stores play brand fit music instead of random hits.
This highlights the importance of not only playing music, but playing the right music, to energize shoppers, make them feel good about their purchases, and more inclined to buy. A carefully curated playlist suited to the store’s brand and target customer can create a memorable experience that keeps customers coming back.
2. Scent Marketing:
Certain scents can evoke emotions, memories, or associations that influence shopping behavior. Scents like vanilla or lavender can make shoppers feel more relaxed, which may encourage them to linger in the store longer (and put more things in their cart) before heading to the cash register or POS system.
Meanwhile, citrus scents can energize and create a sense of cleanliness and freshness, which can be especially important for customer experience in grocery stores.
Stores of all kinds can use diffused scents to match their branding and influence customer behavior on a subconscious level.
3. Lighting Design:
Lighting affects ambiance and can highlight specific areas or products. Bright, warm lighting creates an inviting atmosphere, while dim, focused lighting might encourage customers to linger over premium products.
Studies show that thoughtful lighting has a significant effect on shoppers’ behavior and emotional responses.
For example, customers tend to feel more satisfied in a retail store with warm lighting than in cold lighting. Color temperature can even affect shoppers’ movement patterns and time spent in the store. If the lighting has a colder color temperature, shoppers tend to spend less time browsing the aisles, potentially buying fewer products.
4. Interactive Displays:
Offering interactive or tactile displays can significantly impact how customers engage with products. Touchscreens that provide product information or samples that allow customers to experience the product firsthand create a multisensory shopping experience, making customers more likely to connect emotionally and proceed with a purchase.
5. Store Layout and Flow:
A well-thought-out layout can guide customers through the store naturally, increasing exposure to a variety of products. Research suggests that when customers walk counterclockwise, they are more likely to make impulse buys. Ensuring an intuitive flow also prevents congestion and enhances the overall shopping experience, making it easier for customers to browse comfortably.
Everything about a store’s layout, from the positioning of products to the store’s use of self-service technology, can impact customer experience. This not only can impact their shopping behavior but also their likelihood to return to the store.
6. Personalized Digital Signage:
Digital signage, such as interactive maps or targeted offers, creates a unique experience for shoppers. By tailoring messages to different customer demographics, stores can increase engagement and conversion rates. Digital signage like ESL (Electronic Shelf Labels) can be easily updated to reflect new promotions, helping keep content fresh and relevant.
7. Comfortable Seating Areas:
Having seating areas may seem counterproductive, since if a customer is sitting down they aren’t shopping, but offering comfortable seating encourages longer stays. For instance, seating in apparel stores encourages companions to linger, which can result in higher purchase amounts.
In a supermarket or C-Store setting this may be seen as seating in a prepared foods section or even tables outside for customers to enjoy their prepared food purchases.
Offering a place to rest shows that a store values the comfort of its guests, enhancing brand perception.
8. Background Noise Management:
Retail spaces that manage noise effectively enhance customer comfort. Excessive noise from foot traffic or chatter can lead to customer fatigue. White noise machines, music, or soundproofing can create a more enjoyable, calm environment that encourages customers to stay longer.
9. Employee Interaction Styles:
The way employees approach customers can shape customer behavior dramatically—whether the employee is assisting with locating items or responding to suspicious self-checkout behavior.
Friendly, knowledgeable, but non-intrusive employees can make customers feel at ease and open to exploring products. A positive interaction can turn a hesitant shopper into a loyal customer.
10. Checkout Experience:
A streamlined, pleasant checkout experience is crucial for leaving a good last impression. Long lines or complicated processes can lead to frustration and cart abandonment. Adding self-checkout kiosks or mobile payment options can improve the experience, encouraging repeat visits.
Conclusion
These overlooked elements, when used strategically, create a holistic environment that subconsciously motivates customers to engage and purchase. By optimizing the sensory and practical aspects of the shopping experience, businesses can subtly influence customer behavior and build lasting connections.