The countdown to the end-of-year festivities is on! And for consumers across the UK, this is a time for more tactical shopping, whilst for retailers, it means planning for increased numbers in your stores. Yet, the retail landscape in recent years has faced a multitude of challenges—from lockdowns to the ongoing cost of living crisis, and an intensely competitive market, where e-commerce sites continue to expand their customer base. In fact, in the UK, an overwhelming 80% of residents now shop online, and this figure is expected to rise to 86% by 2027.
Divided Shopping Nation
Despite this shift towards online shopping, there remains a crucial role for physical stores. With more consumers becoming aware of the broader impacts of their shopping habits, there are significant opportunities for retailers to elevate their standards and entice potential shoppers back through their doors. As consumers’ spending habits evolve, so too do their expectations, making it essential for retailers to adapt. This year, a study on UK shopping preferences revealed that 26% of people prefer to shop in a physical store, 35% favour online shopping, and 39% don’t mind either way.
With the nation nearly divided into thirds regarding their shopping preferences, in-person retailers not only need to attract customers but also nurture them into loyal clients.
While external factors such as transportation and health concerns can influence a person's decision to shop in-store, there are various strategies retailers can employ to draw consumers back into physical spaces. Elevating the standards of the shopping experience is crucial in making customers feel valued and fostering a sense of loyalty towards a brand.
The Great Customer Experience
Elevating standards within the retail space starts with redefining the customer experience. While high-end retailers may come to mind, with their chandeliers, high ceilings, and expensive price tags, the reality is that most shoppers desire simple things: a well-organised shop floor, an environment conducive to browsing without cognitive fatigue, and above all, cleanliness. Surprisingly, a study shows that 80% of shoppers prefer a clean store over one filled with gimmicks and experiences.
In a competitive market, retailers might be tempted to focus on elaborate attractions to draw people in. However, it’s often the basics, like cleanliness, that leave a lasting impression. Humans are naturally inquisitive, and we use our senses to explore new environments. Cleanliness plays a crucial role in forming positive opinions. For instance, in a food store, messy shelves or stains can cause customers to question food quality and hygiene. Similarly, in a clothing shop, a dirty bathroom can quickly ruin the shopping experience, leading to decreased spending and quicker final exits.
The significance of cleanliness is further underscored by studies showing that 70% of customers have had negative experiences due to a retailer's lack of cleanliness. In today’s retail environment, where competition is fierce, even one bad experience can be detrimental, with 69% of shoppers reporting they would choose another store after encountering poor cleanliness experience.
Conscious Consumerism
In the UK, consumers increasingly use their purchasing power to support brands and companies that align with their values—a trend known as ethical or conscious consumerism. This movement has gained significant traction, with consumers willing to spend more, even amidst a cost-of-living crisis, if a brand supports wider goals like sustainability, climate change, or social causes. Millennials and Gen Z are particularly vocal in promoting their favourite ethical retailers on social media and criticising those that don’t meet their standards. This ethical market grew by 35% in 2021, the highest jump since this demographic was first recorded in 1999, with 60% of consumers believing that retailers should meet higher environmental standards.
However, today’s ethical consumers demand authenticity, not gimmicks. They want retailers to take genuine action, be transparent, and self-reflect on their broader environmental impact. With the rise of greenwashing, where companies make misleading claims about their environmental efforts, consumers are growing increasingly sceptical over eco-claims. For example, if a retailer claims their stores are powered by renewable energy but fails to address the fossil fuel-based products they sell, it could be seen as an attempt to mislead. On the other hand, a company that acknowledges its current shortcomings and outlines plans for reducing its wider carbon footprint in the future is more likely to earn the trust of these discerning shoppers.
Ethical consumers also appreciate when businesses go beyond profit-making and engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects. By doing so, retailers not only elevate their standards but also allow consumers to feel that their purchases contribute to the greater good, turning shopping into a form of support for charitable or environmental causes.
People
Retail is a people-centric industry, where both customers and staff are at the heart of the business. The phrase "people buy from people" remains true even in today's digital age. Yet, the retail workforce in the UK faces significant challenges, with one-fifth of retail staff considering leaving their jobs due to mental health concerns, feelings of insecurity, heavy workloads, and more. According to Retail Trust, 80% of retail employees reported feeling more stressed in the past year, with many experiencing burnout.
Yet, balancing the various factors within retail business operations is not easy either. Many retailers are trying to cut overhead costs by reducing overtime and employee numbers while still expecting staff to meet high targets. This burden is not limited to those working on tills or stocking shelves; increasingly, retail staff are expected to take on additional responsibilities, such as cleaning the shop floor and working across different departments. With fewer dedicated cleaning staff, employees are often left juggling tasks, which can lead to delays in customer service and a decline in overall store cleanliness.
This strain on retail workers can have a direct impact on the in-store experience. Overstretched staff may struggle to assist customers, a crucial touchpoint for fostering brand loyalty. Missed deadlines and a decline in cleanliness can further erode the quality of the shopping experience, driving customers away.
Also, many retail workers feel that their physical and mental wellbeing is not adequately addressed by their employers. While 75% of retailers claim that wellbeing is on their agenda, only 40% have a clear wellbeing strategy in place. Key factors affecting staff wellbeing include mental health, physical labour, exposure to cleaning chemicals, slips, trips and falls, and poor air quality.
What Can Retail Stores Do?
While pivoting organisational operations may seem like additional work on an already overstretched project list, making strategic shifts to elevate consumer appeal is crucial. By understanding the key motivators in the current market, your store—regardless of its size—can better connect with potential shoppers. To achieve this, just think S.H.O.P. framework:
- Sustainability
Review your entire supply chain, from direct emissions (like vehicles) to indirect ones (such as utilities, cleaning chemicals, and stock). Identify achievable steps for simple switches and outline larger projects that require more strategic planning. This not only reduces environmental impact but also appeals to the growing number of conscious consumers.
- Hygiene
Reassess your cleaning operations and invest in advanced products that offer long-lasting results. Technologies that provide residual cleaning, meaning they work long after application, can help maintain cleanliness with less frequent, labour-intensive efforts. Prioritizing deep-clean solutions that tackle the root of hygiene issues, rather than just masking them, can significantly enhance the in-store experience.
- Operations
Streamlining operations is essential. Start by understanding the daily and ongoing needs of your business, then seek out technology that can simplify these processes without overwhelming or replacing your team. Efficient operations not only improve productivity but also enhance the overall shopping experience for your customers.
- People
The wellbeing of your staff is critical. Understand the daily roles and objectives of your team members and protect their mental and physical health by evaluating the tools they use. Identifying equipment or processes that hinder your team’s wellbeing and your business's productivity allows you to find better alternatives that don’t force a trade-off between employee health and business efficiency.
How Can Biotech Help?
As retailers adopt the S.H.O.P. framework, biotech solutions can effectively tackle key challenges in the industry. BioHygiene’s cleaning products, for example, offer next-generation solutions that blend eco-tech with biotech, ensuring an immediate and lasting clean. These products not only reduce CO2 emissions, plastic waste, and water consumption but also help lower the environmental impact by replacing harmful chemicals. With their lower hazard classifications, BioHygiene products minimise the risk of staff-related illnesses from chemical exposure and improve indoor air quality, aligning with the Sustainability and Hygiene aspects of S.H.O.P.
FridgeFree is another powerful biotech solution, specifically designed to prevent slime build-up in fridge condensate drain lines. Using plant-derived ingredients keeps drains clear and prevents fridge-related floods, which could cause trip hazards and stock loss. Its battery-operated, “fit and forget” design ensures smooth operations with minimal staff intervention, supporting Operations and People.
By integrating these biotech solutions, retailers can elevate their sustainability, hygiene, operations, and people standards, creating a cleaner, safer, and more efficient in-store experience that encourages customers to return.
If you would like to elevate standards in your store reach out to our retail experts here.
