Relying on Reliable

You know, you just can’t please some people! The term “retail experience” often tops the list of industry issues and those in the know constantly urge retailers to keep things fresh, surprise customers—the old treasure hunt mentality. Turns out they may not want to hunt or be surprised. A recent survey by Aldata, store planning specialists, found that about one-third of shoppers are spending 20% longer in the store when department layouts change. Good news, according to conventional wisdom, which says that the longer people spend shopping the more likely they are to buy more. However, respondents to this survey said changes in layouts were only causing confusion and nearly two-thirds of shoppers didn’t believe the changes were any benefit to them. In fact, most viewed it as a scheme by retailers to get them to buy new products. And nearly 50% of shoppers between the ages of 34 and 54 said the changes they experienced were the most “irritating” part of the shopping experience. “Shoppers tire of stores when they are unable to find the products they want,” said Mark Croxton, head of global consumer support at Aldata. “When it comes to planning stores, retailers have to do so carefully. They could end up pushing loyal customers too far and frustrating them to the point where they leave empty-handed and into a competitor’s store.”