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Consumers Are Craving In-Store Experiences in
a Digital World

Our Most Compelling Data:

78%

of retailers believe having in-store experiences is critical to future success.

83%

of consumers are having positive experiences with brick-and-mortar stores.

Balancing brick-and-mortar quality and online convenience will be key

In today’s digital world, consumers still crave real-life experiences – and retailers are picking up on this.

Sure, many product searches start online (and growing online is all-important). Our own data tells us that more sales are made in person than online. That’s one reason why 78% of retail leaders (retail owners and managers) told us in-store experiences – from product demos to interactive test drives and classes – are key to their future business growth. Thirty-five percent of retail leaders we polled said they should offer more in-store events and shopping experiences to keep up with the competition.

Providing a seamless shopping experience across online and in-store is critical. This mix of retail strategies – often called omnichannel marketing – focuses on expanding your brand’s reach beyond the four walls of your stores, building trust with consumers and generating repeat business. What does that look like? Maybe it’s a customer ordering through your website or a shoppable TikTok post and later returning items in-store. Or maybe they’re buying an item at your store that will be shipped to their home because you didn’t have a certain colour in stock.

Key takeaway:

High customer satisfaction levels in the retail space (83% in-store and 81% online) show how well the seamless shopping experience works across the retail world. That makes us believe customers will set the bar even higher for omnichannel experiences moving forward as the world’s largest retailers continue to develop even smarter ways to reach people and deliver products. While that won’t be a problem for giants like Amazon or Wesfarmers, the other 99% of retailers must continue to level up their in-store experiences and the convenience of their online presence to keep pace

Pro tip:

Consider using a POS like Square for Retail, which is designed to help retail stores sell in-store and online. Using technology that connects across all online and in-person touchpoints for your brand will save your employees from an inventory management nightmare and keep all sales data under one roof.

Tucked away in Carol Stream, Illinois, is a vibrant, green-thumbed community of planters, gardeners and landscape enthusiasts. And in the middle of it all is Barn Owl Garden Center, a family-owned operation founded by Clark Hudmon in 2003. It offers thousands of plants and gardening supplies online and in person, and also provides landscaping services. But its most bountiful presence may be at the farmers market, where the team hosts local vendors and families in a kind of community-driven bazaar each week.

Driving neighbourhood magic also means driving revenue. Since joining Square in 2022, the business has grown 15% without any other significant investments, all while keeping its team size the same. Barn Owl also uses Square Inventory Management and sales insights to maintain the ideal inventory levels to supply online and in-person sales without overstocking.

Square enables us to be knowledgeable and agile. With accurate data and reports, we’re making more than an educated guess before placing orders with vendors.”

Clark Hudmon, Owner of Barn Owl Garden Center, Carol Stream, Illinois, USA