Competing in today’s retail market can be a challenge for small businesses who lack the resources for multi-million-dollar ad campaigns. Finding differentiators is essential to the survival of small retail. The best way to set yourself apart from large retailers is with a first-class personalized customer experience.

Personalized Customer Service

Today’s retail customers want your attention and they want to be treated as an individual.  Taking time to address their questions, help them decide on purchases and ensure they’re satisfied with what they’ve bought can all contribute to gaining repeat business. Loyal customers are the life blood of brick and mortar retail establishments, and personalizing their customer experience is essential in getting customers to return.

Loyalty Rewards Programs

Rewards programs have long been a way to increase revenue and build relationships with retail customers. These programs should be easy to sign up for and provide real value to your patrons. Setting up email drip campaigns that trigger thank you messages with potential upsell items included is a great way to increase sales. Rewards offers should be personalized and fit the profile of their previous purchases.

Variety Of Purchasing Options

Customers love flexibility in payment, whether it be the method of payment or where they make their purchase. If you’re a brick and mortar retailer that hasn’t set up an ecommerce store, the time to do so is now. Enabling customers to make purchases online and with their payment method of choice provides the most valuable of all attributes in today’s market; convenience.

In-Store Financing

If you’re finding your big-ticket items have been slow to move, it may be time to start offering financing options to your customers. This can be particularly profitable in the months leading up to the major winter holidays. Many large box stores have stopped offering lay away programs, and this presents a significant opportunity for smaller retailers.  Be sure your contracts are in order and set time limits to complete a purchase.