Business is all about attraction. Take a look at how Amazon dazzles the customers’ eyes via its 3-dimensional presentation of the products. You can almost touch the product right on your screen. Your attraction heightens. Quite simply, there’s no other way for you to satisfy urges than by ordering online. Consequently, Amazon has never enjoyed the spotlight than during the coronavirus pandemic. And the American e-commerce giant has never gained so much traffic online as these days.

Understanding human nature could play well in your book as a retail store entrepreneur. Top of the list is serendipity or the prospect of a customer finding something he didn’t expect to find – and buying it ultimately. That’s just one of the takeaways you can use in turning a window shopper into a client. Indeed, shopping habits have changed, thanks to the virus. But that doesn’t mean you can’t adapt too. And get the lion’s share of the market in the process.

Henry Layte: The Ultimate Window Shopping Experience

Not everyone has the financial muscle to do an Amazon and show your product offerings in all its visual detail online. That the virus means touching can be harmful has undoubtedly made a lot of brick-and-mortar entrepreneurs sleepless for nights on end. Wracking their brains out on how best to get their wares out there without putting everyone in harm’s way.

And Henry Layte, the ever-busy owner of world-renowned UK bookstore The Book Hive, was one of those entrepreneurs. He surveyed his options, thought about putting plastic wrapper in all of his books for sale, or limiting but two people in his stores.

Finally, seeing his shops be quite long and narrow, filled with shelves upon shelves of books, he decided to make the most of his window.

His idea: Using his shop’s full-length windows, he displays all the books he can display there for everyone to see. To add to the excitement, he makes sure the front and back of the book are on full display.

It’s a win-win. Henry protects his staff from the virus as people transact only through the window.

Putting Up an Eye-catching Front

Well, Henry was right. Like those Amazon product offerings online, he’s relying on the senses to entice people to buy – at least as much as safety will allow. And he created more looks for his shops.

But you may have to not just put your wares on display to increase foot traffic. You will have to increase your store’s curb appeal as a whole along with your omnichannel strategy. Studies show people don’t just shop online; a substantial number of buyers pick up the products in-store after browsing online.

If you want to do a Henry Layte, you must ensure your interiors and windows are squeaky clean. That’s a good start. Even better, hiring commercial landscape design professionals is driving the message home. By doing so, you ensure your front space is as beautiful and green as your customers want it to be.

The Basis of Browsing and Serendipity

Why go all the trouble?

Research done at Louisiana University tells us visiting stores is a pleasurable experience all its own. The act of browsing through items and sale prices brings joy – even some sort of escape.

And data supports this. Consumers spend more in a typical in-store shopping visit than when browsing online. The survey done by First Insight shows that 54% of buyers spend $50 and up when buying online. The percentage, however, rises to 71% for shoppers doing the in-store experience.

It seems there still is a lot of hope for brick-and-mortar stores, after all. A survey done by Retail Dive points out that shoppers still prefer the joy of touching, feeling, and trying out items in-store over shopping online.

It’s an adrenaline rush of some kind, a psychological boost of some sort.

Then there’s the idea of serendipity, one you should take notice of as a business owner. We all have gone through some shopping in the past. And you may recall there are times where you’ve bought something you did not even expect to buy.

Indeed, many people who browse your store will end up walking out without buying. That’s a reality. But the mere fact that people are browsing is in itself a win. And that’s because of serendipity.

There is a good chance people will buy something they found by accident in-store. The challenge then is how to get them inside the store. When you can do that, you’ve won half the battle.