There are times when I've walked into a luxury store and wondered if I've accidentally ended up in a magnificent art gallery. The carefully selected products on show, of which there are very few, are artfully arranged on shelves, lit beautifully and whisper, 'look but don’t touch.' The store smells wonderful, the music is pitch perfect and the professional sales staff are all primed to help me experience Retail at its absolute finest. You feel special just to be there.

That's the beauty of bricks and mortar; the ability to create a unique atmosphere and arouse feelings. We love being able to shop in person. From high street fashion chains right through to exclusive boutiques – for many of us, nothing beats that in-store Retail moment.

As the boundaries between online and in-store continue to blur, retailers are getting ever more sophisticated at driving in-store revenue by learning from their customers' online behaviour. So here are five ways you can turn these online habits into more in-store Dinngggg.

Make payments as easy as the one-click basket

1. Click – in the basket
2. Click – two items in the basket
3. Click - checkout
4. Click – your goods are on the way

Most websites are that quick and easy but how do you make your in-store payments resemble this experience? One simple way to make the payment moment exactly that - a moment, is through modern fully integrated mobile terminals and tablets. Equip your sales assistants with the latest technology and they can become walking tills.

Sales staff with real intelligence

Retail brands spend a lot of time and effort building up a picture of what consumers and customers do online. Using artificial intelligence and algorithms, they develop a sophisticated picture of shopping habits to promote those products they think their shoppers will love.

Well trained store staff have been doing the same for years. They ask shoppers what they’re looking for, what they like, how much they have to spend and then make recommendations based on their knowledge – real intelligence. 

We're able to help retailers supercharge their advice by supplementing it with insights from the millions of transactions we process every month and through in-store training programmes. This is where the payments data can add real value for retailers across their CRM systems and loyalty programmes.

Flexible solutions for shoppers

One of the drawbacks of any store is the size of the stockroom. It's frustrating for a customer to decide to buy something in-store only to find it's not available there and then. Today's savvy shoppers know they might be able to check online first and they expect a number of flexible options to meet their needs – such as collect in-store, home delivery and delivery to a secure location of their choice.

A true unified commerce approach gives you a complete 360-degree view of your stock levels across all channels and locations across the globe. Knowing where everything is, shoppers have the choice to Click & Collect or Click & Reserve at their most convenient store.

The advantage for retailers of offering collect in-store services like Click & Collect and Click & Reserve is the extra footfall this brings to your store. We know that once people are in a shop, they are more likely to buy something else.

Shipping is getting quicker but nothing beats instant gratification

Groceries delivered to your door in 15 minutes shows how far FMCG has come in a short amount of time. Human brains are wired for instant gratification and instant or next day delivery is now an expectation for many consumers. For many, it’s become the norm.

Don't underestimate how delighted shoppers will be if they can find a product in-store, touch it, try it and immediately walk out with it. If it's not in-stock, arrange for next day delivery to a location of their choice.

Ensure your stock management systems are fully connected across all warehouses and stores, and equip your store staff with the right technology so they know what’s available. This way, they’re able to give accurate up to the minute information to drive these dopamine delights.

Making it easy for customers to spend again

Many online shoppers now buy products in different sizes and colours to try on at home. With lockdown measures easing, they’ll increasingly want to return unwanted items to their local store for an immediate refund.

It's important to offer a simple returns and refunds process, and the way this is managed has an important bearing on protecting customer loyalty. So, make it easy to return a product in-store and pay their refund immediately to the payment method of their choice. 

Doing so gives retailers the opportunity to retain the revenue by encouraging customers who’ve already paid for multiple items to spend their refund while they’re in the moment.

I hope these five tips help you add more in-store Dinngggg as customers return to your stores.