‘Customer Experience’ Key to Fresh Retail Industry in 2018

As we enter into 2018, “customer experience” promises to be more important than ever when it comes to differentiating your business from the competition. This is especially true of the food and grocery world, where one important trend is even changing the way we talk about the industry — the rise of “grocerant.”

A term used to describe a hybrid of grocery stores and restaurants, the “grocerant” concept is increasingly being adopted by traditional grocers to provide more fresh, health-conscious options for consumers who are always pressed for time. Today it is increasingly common to see fresh food is being prepared on demand, in view of shoppers. For example, some markets now feature a sushi chef preparing healthy treats.

Grocerant innovations also can be seen in markets that are experimenting with in-store specialty stations for wine-tasting or coffee-sampling, health and wellness stations, even a mini farmers market spotlighting fresh local produce. Such experiences are designed to create a deeper connection with shoppers and, ultimately, to encourage them to shop longer, spend more and stay loyal.

Another emerging customer experience strategy is the ongoing convergence of offline and online shopping. Home delivery of groceries and ready-to-prepare meals is becoming more widespread with services like Peapod and Blue Apron — and supermarkets like Kroger and others now make it incredibly easy for customers to order online and pick up in-store. Experts forecast and big brands are also banking on the idea that more and more shoppers will go online to replenish basic household goods like paper products and cleaning supplies, beverages and nonperishable food.

How Do I Improve Customer Experience?

The challenge of providing next-level customer experience that can differentiate you from your competitors generally requires not only a creative vision, but also some help from an experienced industry partner who’ll collaborate with you to create engaging retail displays and custom store fixtures, along with signware needed to communicate essential information to your customers.

As a full-service provider of floor-to-ceiling visual merchandising solutions, here at Visual Creations and our signware division Rose Displays we work closely with you to understand your goals, help you shape your vision and then bring it to reality in-store.

For example, over the years we’ve worked with food retailers Kroger and Wegmans; restaurants like Hard Rock Café, Pinkberry and Chuck E Cheese; pharmacy giants Rite Aid, Walgreens and CVS; and such national retailers as Macy’s, Target and Walmart.

At our state-of-the-art, 325,000-square-foot facility in Pawtucket, R.I., we can manufacture virtually anything you need. With advanced capabilities in all three major materials (wood, metal and plastics), we are fully equipped to turn your retail merchandising requirements and ideas into cost-effective, eye-catching displays.

Here are just a few of the ways we can help:

• Custom fixtures for specialty millwork stations and displays
• Eye-catching end caps, tables, shelf units, and more
• Distinctive menu boards, graphic frames, aisle directories, countertop sign holders and floor stands or wood-inspired solutions from our Natural Elements Collection

We specialize in helping clients navigate the intersection between visual merchandising and customer experience, and we’d love to work with you to create innovative, cost-effective environments that engage shoppers and drive sales. Contact us today to get your project started.