With the weather improving and a four-day weekend just around the corner, retailers who can deliver excellent customer service and encourage browsers to actually buy will stand themselves in good stead, according to Scott Storey, MD of CTS Retail.

Storey, who recently delivered a seminar for new retailers at the Business Start Up Exhibition at Excel, believes that the Jubilee bank holiday provides untapped potential for both independent and multi-store retailers, if they put the customer experience first.

“Whenever we have a bank holiday, it changes the playing field when it comes to retailing because people feel differently about shopping on these days. It’s not a chore or a rushed visit over the weekend out of necessity, but a choice to go out and really enjoy their time shopping. For this reason, it’s far easier to encourage customers to buy things they wouldn’t normally, simply because they feel happier and more relaxed during their visit,” explains Storey.

Storey believes that the customer service delivered by staff is going to be one of the key factors affecting whether customers actually make a purchase or simply continuing browsing.

“Meeting and greeting customers is an easy way to boost engagement immediately, so make sure you dedicate some of your team to front of house activities,” continues Storey.  “Consider ways to make the day enjoyable for your staff, such as incentives for the number of greets or store card sign ups and so on. Customers want to find their shopping experience enjoyable and there is nothing worse than having to face a grumpy employee who is clearly only looking forward to the end of their shift!”