Top three ways to boost loyalty and footfall

The increasingly digital world we live in makes us crave sensorial experiences and emotional connections. We don’t just want to buy a brand – we want to engage with it and experience it.

This offers an opportunity for stores to add something unique to their environment that will create stronger relationships with their customers.

Download Shopping with emotion: How senses drive sales, a new report by Retail Week and Mood Media based on 17 in-depth interviews with senior retail executives and a bespoke survey of 2,000 consumers.

1. Create an enjoyable atmosphere

According to the survey, over 85% of consumers are more likely to revisit a store with an enjoyable atmosphere (intended as a combination of music, visuals and scent).

An enjoyable atmosphere would also make almost 80% of consumers choose a shop with an over buying online.

These statistics cannot be ignored – consumers, especially millennials, expect to be amazed and entertained constantly and it is the retailers’ duty to make sure this happens.

2. Embrace innovations

When considering younger generations, retailers can choose between fighting the invasion of digital (90% of 18- to 24-year-olds use mobiles while shopping in a store) or leveraging it in their strategies.

Over 80% of them would be happy to receive promotions and branded content while in a shop. This is quite a unique opportunity – not only to keep them engaged and entertained, but also to enhance brand awareness and loyalty when most relevant.

When asked whether they would want to influence the music played in store, almost 85% of consumers aged 18 to 34 and more than 75% aged 35 to 54 responded affirmatively.

“More than 85% of consumers are more likely to revisit a store with an enjoyable atmosphere”

Social Mix, one of the new features Mood Media has recently launched, fulfils this market need. It allows customers to view the store’s playlist in real time and select what they want to hear next, with the most popular song rising to the top.

3. Transform weaknesses into strengths

According to our study, what frustrates customers the most about shopping is waiting in line.

A long queue can often deter customers from making purchases, so it is fundamental for retailers to ensure shoppers are enjoying the in-store experience at all times.

While killing the waiting time might prove difficult, retailers have a duty to fill it with relevant and entertaining content. For example, Mood Media’s recent study highlighted that 78% of consumers find waiting times less dull if music is playing.

Ultimately, the study clearly shows that retailers can make huge improvements on the shopping experience by engaging their customers with all the senses. If you change the mood, you change the outcome.