Improving the Retail Atmosphere Begins With Empowering Employees

By Janet Hawkins, CEO and co-founder, Opterus

2023 was another year of big changes in retail. While we saw shoppers continue coming back to stores in numbers that hearken back to pre-pandemic levels, we also saw labor shortages and turnover continue to plague the industry. Meanwhile, stores are evolving, even shrinking, and becoming more technically complex than ever.

The evolving complexities of the past year create a perfect storm of challenges that retailers need to prepare for if they want to provide the best experience for customers in 2024. To overcome these challenges, retailers must create the best atmopshpere they can for customers, and that starts with empowering employees.

But doing so isn’t easy in the complex age of modern retailing, so retailers will need to focus heavily on their workforce management in three key areas:

The brick-and-mortar experience will always remain vital, and perhaps most important to that experience is how well equipped employees are to handle customer demands. Since 84% of shoppers claim they would return to stores with pleasant atmospheres, it’s imperative that retailers properly train and equip their staff to provide the best experience possible.

Organized workforce training and management will give retailers an edge in 2024 with employees that are well informed, confident and ready to create the best atmosphere for customers.

While physical stores remain vital, there’s no denying the impact that online and omnichannel shopping have on today’s landscape. The increasing prevalence of BOPIS and curbside options only adds to the complexity that employees must manage on a daily basis.

Therefore, employees must have everything they need, including communication and task management, ready to go at their fingertips. This streamlines retail workflows and ensures that the physical store is always ready for customers while managers can communicate the necessary procedures to fulfill BOPIS and curbside orders. In short, the right amount of staff is allocated where it’s needed most.

As customers’ shopping preferences continue to evolve, their patience will wear thin if retailers aren’t equipped to keep up. Providing a bad experience is bad business, as customers will quickly look elsewhere to spend their money. There’s nothing more frustrating than an employee who isn’t equipped to provide the help a shopper needs, leaving them in the dark. With more options than ever, that shopper will not likely return in 2024.

A better customer experience isn’t just good for shoppers though, as research reveals improving the customer experience can increase profitability by 1% to 2%. In an industry already characterized by thin margins, that’s great news for the bottom line. Increasing customer loyalty in 2024 will be paramount for retailers hoping to stay afloat in a crowded industry.

Ultimately, employees are at the heart of these key areas, and they’re truly the heart of any retail business. As retailers look to provide the best atmosphere for customers in 2024, they must empower their employees with the workflow management and tools needed to provide seamless experiences.