Well-known, digitally native mattress brands like Casper, Tuft & Needle and Purple have made buying a bed over your phone, sight-unseen not only acceptable, but even commonplace. They’ve opened the door for retail giant Amazon to easily enter the scene with even more and cheaper virtual buying options.
As a bricks-and-mortar business owner, these facts make it easy to despair about the seeming surge of on-line consumer purchasing, even for a product like mattresses which many thought was virtual-buying-proof. So you may be surprised to learn that the number one predicted trend in retail for 2019, is to revitalize the in-store buying experience by blending data-driven and convenience-enhancing technology with the human touch of a salesperson.
To prove the point, previously online-only brand Casper rolled out a brick-and-mortar strategy in 2018, and received serious praise for its fresh approach to in-store, mattress retail. Casper’s betting big on it too, with an audacious plan for physical retail growth going forward.
All to say, the in-person shopping experience is far from dead. In fact, Forrester Research shows that while more than half of all purchases are digitally influenced, more than 85% of all US retail sales still happen in a physical store.
Today’s consumers want shopping to be informative, simple and relevant – and business owners want the same. Purposeful, in-store technology, when combined with the touch of a great salesperson, can not only close sales sooner, but leave customers confident and more satisfied with the buying process than anything they’d experience online.
One way to reimagine the in-store, mattress shopping experience while staying relevant in a digital market, is through leading-edge, technology-powered personalization, like XSENSOR’s REVEAL Mattress Recommendation system.
With REVEAL, customers visualize their pressure points and for the first time can see what they feel and understand what the right mattress will feel like. Sales people can quickly assess the data and narrow the search for the ideal mattress in minutes. Rather than laying on 10 sample beds, a customer may lay on two or three, each perfectly suited to their body and the unique way they sleep. In this way, the sale has become convenient, personalized, simple and efficient for customer and business alike.
Whether shopping online or in-store, we expect buyers to research additional product information, reviews and to comparison shop. This is largely an academic exercise. What customers can only get in-store, is the great customer experience that combines technology with a personalized touch and the physical contact of a helpful salesperson.
Change the customer’s end-to-end shopping experience with REVEAL to augment your sales team’s experience, build credibility, and find the right mattress for your customer. Mattress retailers are using REVEAL – because it works!
