People Counting Blog

4 Reasons Retail Stores Matter Now More Than Ever

Posted by Allen Haynes on Oct 7, 2016 4:02:57 PM

There’s no doubt that online retailers and virtual stores have taken a huge slice of the consumer market both in the UK and globally. Whilst many now see the dominance of internet sales as the only future for retail, conventional retailers on the high streets and in shopping centres still have a huge role to play in the customer purchasing experience - regardless of the product or brand.

Shopping online has certainly made the consumer’s journey a lot less time consuming and cost-effective. With virtually anything you could possibly want or need now available to buy online - from cars to beef carpaccio - you could argue that consumers have no need set foot in a shop or shopping centre ever again. But, studies show you’d be wrong.

Whilst shopping online is certainly more time efficient (and sometimes cost efficient, too), there’s a number of things which online shops cannot compete with - including adding value to the customer buying experience. Here are just four reasons why retail stores matter more than ever:

IS PEOPLE COUNTING THE ANSWER FOR RETAILERS? >

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Industry in Review: Shoppers Crave Experience, Creating Opportunity for Brick-and-Mortars

Posted by Allen Haynes on Dec 29, 2015 1:38:57 PM

Customer experience has always been the driving force behind retailers’ success. As we gear up to unveil our newest intelligent device at the National Retail Federation’s annual Big Show NRF16, we took a look at what others in retail are saying about the opportunity to enhance the shopping experience.  

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U.S. Consumers to Browse Online Before Making In-Store Purchases

Posted by Paul Fulton on Aug 25, 2015 4:27:37 PM

More than 71 percent of U.S. consumers will compare products online and via retail smartphone and tablet apps before venturing to a physical store to make a purchase, according to a recent survey by Apptentive.

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U.S. Ecommerce Sales Hit All-Time High, But Retail Still About Experience

Posted by Paul Fulton on Jul 31, 2015 8:45:12 PM

U. S. ecommerce sales hit an all-time high of $297 billion in 2014, an increase of 15.4 percent over 2013, according to the U. S. Census Bureau’s Ecommerce Report.

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Apple Pay Essentials: What You Need to Know

Posted by Paul Fulton on Oct 23, 2014 1:39:00 PM

Apple launched its wireless payment system Apple Pay this week, which allows shoppers to make purchases using an iOS device. The application is only available in the U.S. for now with a UK release slated for some time in 2015, according to Visa. Although it’s being marketed for use on any Apple device using its latest operating system, the fact is not every iPhone is able to use it and even the new iPads have some restrictions.

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U.S. Holiday Sales Expected to be Highest Since 2011

Posted by Paul Fulton on Oct 7, 2014 5:13:00 PM

Retailers are expecting American spending to be at its highest in three years this holiday season, according to a report published this week by the National Retail Federation.

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‘Showrooming’ Just Showy Hype? U.S. Consumers More Likely to ‘Webroom’

Posted by Paul Fulton on Sep 30, 2014 3:38:00 PM

The much-hyped “showrooming” phenomenon was supposed to take down retail giants. Long-standing stores would be shuttered as consumers used them only to touch, try and compare products – but turned to online and mobile retailers to make their actual purchases.

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Click and Collect - The Next Big Thing for retail?

Posted by Jordan Britchford on Sep 17, 2014 2:32:00 PM

With the announcement that earlier this month that ASDA is doubling the number of ‘click and collect’ lockers available at tube stations in London, is this a sign of the next big change in shopping patterns in the UK?

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Using Occupancy Data to Re-engage Employees With the Workplace

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