How to Build Shoppers’ Trust

Take Lessons from E-Commerce

Brick and mortar stores aren’t going away, but to thrive, they need to do a better job serving customers. Consider:

A recent study by the American Customer Satisfaction Index, (ACSI), showed that the retail sector has dropped significantly in customer satisfaction. It scored a 74.8 on a 100-point scale, a slide of 2.6 percent from 2014. Some specifics:

Customer satisfaction with supermarkets dropped almost four percent to a score of 73, the lowest score in more than a decade. Health and personal care (drug) stores experience a larger ACSI decline than any other retail category, shedding 5.2% to an all-time low score of 73.

So how can retailers — especially drug stores and supermarkets — make things easier and more intuitive for shoppers, especially those who shop online?

Focus on Building Customer Trust

In addition to improving the customer experience (i.e. store hours, merchandise selection, store cleanliness, etc.), retailers also must focus on building shoppers’ trust.

The reason is simple: If shoppers trust you, they’ll buy from you. And if shoppers trust you, they’re more likely to try new products, and increase their spending.

Good e-commerce stores understand this concept well. They spend a lot of effort building trust — and they do it in many ways. For starters, they reassure shoppers that they stand behind their products, with money-back guarantees and easy returns.

They also provide help with product selection, using help-me-choose functionality, multiple product shots, and clear product descriptions.

And they make their sites really intuitive, so it’s easy to find products, answers, and even add-ons. In fact, most do a lot of testing to get this right.

Embrace E-Commerce Ideas

Brick and mortar stores can embrace some of these e-commerce ideas to build customer trust. For example, they can:

Provide recommendations on demand. Don’t force shoppers to use their phones to research which product on the shelf works best for them, or have to track down a clerk. Invest in standalone or in-the-aisle software with help-me-choose functionality and product information. (Expert OnCue provides this solution for both wine and over-the-counter drugs).

Cross-merchandise to help shoppers. Advise shoppers about how one product works effectively with others, i.e. pairing wine with food. It can help you sell more, and also increase shoppers’ confidence in your store’s selection. (A digital kiosk can provide this service).

Make products easy to find. Consider a way-finding solution that helps shoppers find the products they need when they first enter the store. Even if you can’t identify every item on the shelf, at least have an overall map where shoppers can find products, instead of having to walk from aisle to aisle. (A way-finding company like AskCody can help).

How can you measure shoppers’ trust?

Focusing on something without measuring it is worthless. So how can you measure shoppers’ trust?

One simple way is by the volume of personal email addresses collected. After all, any shopper who is willing to give you their personal email address has just handed over fairly sacred information – even if it’s just to get coupons or other perks.

Once you have earned shoppers’ trust, don’t squander it. While it takes time to earn shoppers’ trust, it’s worth the challenge. If shoppers trust you, they’ll try new products, recommend you to their friends, and give you the benefit of the doubt when something (occasionally) goes awry.

So isn’t it time to start winning shoppers’ trust?