Getting Serious About Experience

I will admit, until 2 weeks ago, I have not been in a Sears store in over 14 years. Growing up in a small, rural area, my parents have always been fans. But when you live in a metropolitan area where there is no shortage of shopping options, Sears is not first to mind. So when my husband announced we were going to Sears to buy a lawnmower, I wasn't sure what to expect.

I have to say - my husband and I were both pleasantly surprised at our shopping experience - great customer services, knowledgeable sales staff and easy, fast and convenient pickup. Would I shop at Sears again, absolutely.

We often forget that business, no matter what industry, is not always about the product being sold or the price its being sold at. Repeat business and referrals often come from a great experience. Which is why, Sears, like many retailers, is using this time to focus on creating that great customer experience.

At a recent stockholders meeting, Edward Lampert of Sears, said, "Make no mistake, I'd rather have our sales going up, and rather have same-store sales going up, but not at the expense of generating profit. When you give product away, your renting market share. We want to own market share. And you do that by providing better experiences."

Sears believes that a great customer experience is going to come from integrating its website with its in-store shopping with the launch of a new concept called mygofer. The concept allows people to shop online and then pickup their merchandise at a store - which operates more like a warehouse than a traditional retail location.

"We think that's going to be a better way for people to shop," Lampert said. "This is not just about being a new store experience, it's about there being a different way for people to shop."

Integrating store and web is just one way to enhance that shopping experince. This month's tekREVIEW is full of ideas - digital signage, barcode and mobile technology and causes worth suporting in your stores (Retail ROI). Would love to hear how your stores are working to enhance the customer experince.

And remember sometimes a simple "Can I help you find something?" is all is takes.