Inside Outdoor Winter 2018

experience of shopping from a screen than does a walk through the aisles of a cozy, familiar, expertly staffed indepen- dent store. And shoppers have noticed. “Gone are the days when shoppers stand in awe of the countless choices presented by large retailers while waiting for a representative to be available. Now, consumers prefer to shop small, even during the holidays,” argues Fabregas. At the same time, we’ve seen a trend toward shopping local: locally grown, locally made, support the local econo- my and local tax base. Millennials, in particular, are leading this charge, often preferring the higher-quality, handmade products and personal touch of local brick and mortar stores, even if items cost them a bit more, says Fabregas. Roughly seven out of 10 millennials claim that purchasing American-made products is important to them, accord- ing to Edelman Digital surveys, while 40 percent say they prefer to shop at local stores even if items are more expensive. “Millennials have a strong sense of community and like to feel connected to the products and services they buy. Because of this, they’ll consider spend- ing more at the store down the street than they may with a large corporation or chain,” writes Chelsea Segal, CEO of engagement strategy advisor Targetwise. Score one for independent and specialty retail, which has long played to local ties, even serving as the “place where everyone knows your name” to local enthusiasts. NowWhat? Ok, so small and local still plays well. But a favorable landscape certainly doesn’t mean smaller retailers can sit on their laurels. Recent (often technol- ogy-driven) shifts in spending and foot traffic are very real, and consumers now have lots of choices on where to buy just about every type of consum- able good. So the questions become, when are consumers willing to get off the couch and make a trip to a nearby store, and when are they content to pur- chase via clicks and delivery vehicles? A lot of that comes down to the experi- ence a particular brick and mortar brand provides, and that is where technology often helps the innovative thrive, while the rest stagnate. But first, let’s consider what moti- vates shoppers to visit physical store- fronts in the first place. When looking at the reasons why consumers prefer shopping in store or what they like about the in-store experience, not much has really changed since the early days of e-commerce, suggest several studies and surveys. Overwhelmingly, it’s about the sensory experience. Shoppers head to physical stores when they want to “see and touch,” the options, or they want to carry that item out the door right away vs. waiting for delivery. In addition to that tangible con- nection to the product, the sensory experience also includes something more psychological than physical. The stimuli of the in-store visit also serves to reinforce a sense of the intended action with the items being bought, as well as even reinforcing a customer’s sense of self. In other words, sometimes the need to travel to a store is to actually feel the grip on a ski pole. Other times, it reinforces our sense of ourselves as a big-mountain skier or adventurer (or DIY enthusiast or fitness buff or fashion or artsy-craftsy expert). Certainly, those senses can be conjured up by targeted in-store videos, augmented and virtual reality, and other high-tech fun. They also can be provided by the best of some very traditional advantages of the specialty retail model. Those include creative merchandising and display; spot-on assortment; a reputation of expertise; and, arguably more than anything, an informed and enthusiastic staff. Consider the successful and oft-cited application of the happy and helpful staff put in place at Apple Stores. How many of its customer like to think of themselves as early-adopting Apple enthusiasts? Indeed, a full 87 percent of shoppers surveyed by NRF said knowledgeable associates was important to the in-store experience. Unfortunately, about half of those same shoppers feel they typically know more about products or the store than the staff knows. As it turns out, technology that empowers the floor staff could be one of the better tech investment strate- gies for specialty and independent retail near term, for a number of reasons. For starters, the interaction with human employees, when wanted or needed, is another key driver for in- store visitations, surveys have shown. When push comes to shove, most people still crave personal interaction, no matter how tied we’ve become to our devices. And it almost goes with- out saying that those interactions will not be satisfying, nor aspirational, if store employees, or the store in gen- eral, have less access to information, connectivity, speed and gadgetry than the customer walking in. So what types of technology do shoppers expect store staff to have access to? And which ones improve today’s in-store experience? How important are each of the following to you when you shop for a product in a physical store? (Percentage of shoppers who say the following are very or somewhat important) Product availability (i.e. the products I want are in stock/available in my size) 96% Price 96% Speed of checkout 93% Knowledgeable store associates 87% Prompt customer service (i.e. store associate immediately assists me) 81% Engaging experience (i.e. store design/layout, visually appealing, interactive) 75% Endless aisle (i.e. ability to order out-of-stock products from the physical store location for delivery) 65% Personalized customer service 58% Source: Salesforce Research Reasons for Choosing to Shop in Store vs. Online See, touch and try out items 62% Take items home immediately 49% Return items more easily 20% Enjoy in-store experience 18% Pose questions to store associates 13% I only shop online 7% Source: Retail Dive; Google Survey Inside Outdoor | Winter 2018 30