The San Francisco Chronicle reports:
Despite the still-recovering economy and the success of online retail giants like Amazon and Zappos, consumers still spend plenty of money in brick-and-mortar stores. And John Ryan, a London retail expert, believes stores' environments ought to be designed in ways that encourage them to spend even more.
There's more:
While sales from the Web and other non-store retailers totaled about $96 billion this holiday season, up 9.3 percent from a year ago, those sales still accounted for just 16 percent of $602 billion in total retail sales.
At the same time, fewer people have been visiting stores of late. Foot traffic to stores in malls and large shopping centers fell 14.6 percent during the key holiday shopping season of November and December last year, compared with the same period a year ago, according to ShopperTrak.
Ryan, a former retail buyer-turned-retail journalist, said physical stores can reverse that trend by hooking loyal customers with a pleasing aesthetic, an easily navigable layout and a clear sense of purpose.
"If I can get decent service and a decent experience, you won't mind paying a few cents extra," he said. After all, "it's not much fun sitting behind a computer or looking at your mobile."
An article worth your time.
