Reasons customers leave without buying - and what you can do about it
About 10 % of the potential customers in a store leave without purchasing anything.
In retail, that is a crucial number and can be the difference between a prosperous shop earning a healthy profit and, well, the opposite. Since the pandemic, it is even more challenging than before to get customers into your shop. The last thing you want is to see them leave without even making a purchase. We'll look into why the customers leave and what you can do to avoid it (and keep them coming for more).
Didn't have what the customer was looking for
Let's go through the most obvious reason first. If a customer is out to buy an item, and the store can't provide them with the right model, color or size, the customer will leave without purchasing the item. It is not very complicated. If you get the customer to buy the item anyway, they will probably go home and never wear it since it is the wrong model/color/size. The next time they are out shopping, they won't even enter your store since you make them make bad decisions. Let's avoid that scenario.
Lines are too long
There is generally a rush hour around lunch and after the regular work hours. A high percentage of the total shopping need to be executed in very few hours of the day. So, in traditional stores there are lines. Long lines. A busy customer will not have time or patience to stand there waiting. They are used to being able to check out instantly in any given webshop, and a long line is simply too time-consuming.
Poor service
Long lines are a problem, but at least they are resulting in purchases. The problem is that they keep the staff bound to the cashier instead of being out on the floor interacting with customers. Just standing at the cashier is commonly viewed as a sales activity, but in reality, it really is not. The sales are made on the floor, in contact with the customer, and that's is where the staff need to be.
Not inspired
It is not only the staff that is doing the selling - so is the interior and selection of items. The store must be representative and well-designed to elevate the shopping experience. The customers are used to webshops with a wide range of styles, and stores need to offer an inspiring atmosphere and curated selection to match that.
See how Axel Arigato created a small, modern, and clutter-free shop with a full assortment.
Someone else is better than you(?)
It hurts to think about. But is it true? Is your customer leaving you for someone else? Then you better step up your game.
What's in it for the customer?
Value for a customer is more than price. The way you feel when you enter a store, the possibility to touch and feel an item, if you can try a garment before buying it if you get help to find a perfect fit, a guide to find something suiting that you wouldn't have thought of yourself. Make sure to offer them professional service and a smooth shopping experience - which also provides them with the item they want.
What to do then?
Ok, about 10 % of the customers leave the store without buying something. It doesn't matter if the number is 8 or 12 in your store; the key thing is that this is a great opportunity. These people want to buy your products, and you need to find ways to let them do that. You need to figure out how to modernize the way you handle the customer. How can you make your service even better and gain those extra sales you want (and might need)? Create the possibility for the staff to be out on the floor, meeting and guiding the customers. Make sure to have an easy, smooth, and aesthetic way to provide the customer with the correct item. It must be quick, and the solution needs to be appealing to the staff - otherwise, they might fall back into old ways of (not) selling.
Our in-store ordering solution allows you to keep a modern, neat and inspiring selection of styles in-store yet have everything available to the customer. It is more functional and easy to use than a webshop, and the sales are connected to the store. No lines, no low stock, no fuzz. Just the perfect item, delivered to the customer the next day. And another full-price sale for you.
