In-Store Customer Engagement

One of the biggest takeaways I spotted from Intuit Mailchimp’s analysis of the 2024 holiday shopping season is that the new year is ripe with new opportunities to drive loyalty. Here’s why → 64% of orders from Mailchimp customers with connected stores came from new customers during Cyber Weekend 2024. That's a huge opportunity to grow your loyal customer base! And research we produced with Canvas8 tells us that the best kept secret to driving loyalty is actually grounded in science. Our Loyalty Wheel reveals 4 key drivers of loyalty: 1. Reward: Our brains love rewards. Create a sense of reciprocity by offering exclusive deals, personalized discounts, or early access to new products. 2. Memory: Make it easy for customers to remember (and repeat!) positive experiences with your brand. Design a frictionless customer journey, offer subscriptions for frequently purchased items, and send well-timed reminders. 3. Emotion: Foster an emotional connection that goes beyond transactional exchanges. Align your brand with causes your customers care about, share authentic stories, and build a sense of community. 4. Social Interaction: Encourage customers to share their love for your brand with friends and family. Create opportunities for user-generated content, run refer-a-friend programs, or host exclusive events. And here's how to put it all into action: 🎉 Surprise and delight: Gift your customers with unexpected rewards. And just not generic discounts. Offer exclusive experiences or partner with like-minded brands to create unique offers. 🛝 Streamline every touchpoint: Remove friction in the customer journey with automation. From browsing to purchasing to post-purchase support, make it easy and enjoyable to do business with your brand. 🎯 Prioritize personalization: Craft your messaging and build authentic connections. Use data and AI analysis to understand your customers' values and preferences and use those insights to create content that resonates. 🤗 Give VIP treatment: Make your customers feel like VIPs. Give them early access to new products, invite them to exclusive events, or feature them on your social media channels. Download Mailchimp and Canvas8’s The Science of Loyalty and The Strategic Loyalty Playbook for a deep dive into the science, complete with actionable strategies and inspiring examples: https://bit.ly/49FJayO Make 2025 the year of the loyal customer. You got this.

If more of your store sales start on TikTok lately, you might wanna read this. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘦. The checkout happens in-store. But the sale happens everywhere else. Here's the reality: This year 60%+, and in 2027, 70% of retail sales will be digitally influenced. I can't emphasize this enough; here's what most brands miss—digital influence isn't just about online sales. It's about shaping every moment before the customer even walks into your store. L'Oréal cracked this code: 100M+ AR try-on sessions driving real conversions. 31 brands orchestrating seamless experiences across 72 countries. No.1 in beauty influencer marketing (29% market share), 20-80% higher conversion rates through enhanced digital experiences. The new customer journey isn't linear—it's layered: - They discover you on social - Research you through reviews and UGC - Try your product virtually through AR - Get retargeted with personalized content - Finally purchase in-store (feeling confident they're making the right choice) Every touchpoint matters, and every interaction influences the final decision. The brands winning today aren't just selling products—they're orchestrating experiences across owned, paid, and earned media that guide customers from curiosity to checkout. Digital discovery is increasingly pay-to-play and shoppers are paying attention. ++ Tactical Recommendations for CPG / FMCG Brands ++ 1. Beyond just having perfect, high SOV product pages, create discovery ecosystems. - Optimize for "zero-moment-of-truth" searches. - Activate shoppable content at scale. - Leverage user-generated content as social proof. Brands that do these see a 35% higher conversion rate from digital touchpoints to in-store purchases. 2. Connect digital engagement directly to retail execution. - Geo-target digital campaigns to drive foot traffic - Create "store-specific" digital content CPG brands using geo-targeted social ads see a 23% higher in-store sales lift in targeted markets. 3. Most important one; stop flying blind—measure digital influence on offline sales. - Implement unique promo codes for each digital touchpoint to track conversion paths. - Use customer surveys at point of purchase. - Partner with retailers on shared data insights Brands with proper attribution see 15-25% improvement in marketing ROI within 12 months. 𝗧𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 ecommert® 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝟭𝟰,𝟲𝟬𝟬+ 𝗖𝗣𝗚, 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘁® : 𝗖𝗣𝗚 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿. #CPG #FMCG #AI #ecommerce Procter & Gamble PepsiCo Unilever The Coca-Cola Company Nestlé Mondelēz International Kraft Heinz Ferrero Mars Colgate-Palmolive Henkel Bayer Haleon Kenvue The HEINEKEN Company Carlsberg Group Philips Samsung Electronics Panasonic North America

90% of sellers are terrible at group demos. 3+ buyers on a demo? Crickets. It's like talking to a wall. 5 steps to running GROUP demos that close deals: STEP 1: 'What we heard' Most often, you've only met 1-2 people on the demo. The other people on the call? They're 'new voices' in the deal. They're not up to speed yet. So that's your first agenda on group demos: Spend five min summarizing prior calls: - the business problem - its root causes - its negative impact Then, get their input: "Emily, talk to me about how this is showing up in your world?" STEP 2: Frame EVERY feature with pain Before you show ANY feature: Frame the pain it solves. "But Chris, didn't we already summarize the problem?" Yep. But you framed the 'macro' problem. Now you're getting into the details: "One of the issues John shared earlier was XYZ... "Here's exactly how we address that..." That PULLS people into the demo with you. It gets them to engage. STEP 3: Use everyone's names, and toggle often. Notice in the above examples: I said 'Emily.' I said 'John.' Do this throughout the demo: Use people's first name. Call back to something they said earlier. Cycle through everyone. Repeat. Do that well? Impossible for them to 'tune out.' STEP 4: Ask engaging questions After you share a key feature (and how it solves): Stop and ask a question. But stop asking these: - does that make sense? - what questions do you have? Ask these instead: - how does that compare to how you solve this now? - to what extent do you envision this solving [pain]? - feels like that resonated. What struck a chord? - feels like that didn't resonate. Where'd it miss? Combine this with the last few steps? You'll have a conversation on your hands. Not a lifeless presentation. STEP 5: Host a discussion at the end As you approach the end of your demo, back up and ask the group: "in a second, we can talk about next steps. "But I'm curious to hear from each of you: "What resonated most about what you saw today?" That question sets expectations that each person engage. Go around the room. Ask opinions. Toggle between people. Then go into next steps. That's it for now. Hope you liked this. Tag someone this could help in the comments.

The world preaches loyalty, but how many brands actually live it? Last month, I got an invite to something called Summer Smash, 1st Phorm International's invite-only community event in St. Louis. Think three days of HQ tours, private pre-parties, high-energy workouts, rides, and live music from artists like Ludacris, Lil' Jon, Pitbull, and Steve Aoki. The whole thing sells out in under a minute each year. Pure community building at it's finest. I couldn't make it due to personal obligations, but here's what blew me away: they still sent me a surprise box packed with over 10 of their top products (proteins, apparel, energy drinks, protein sticks), plus a handwritten note that felt genuinely personal, not like a marketing ploy. We've gotten so caught up in digital tactics that we've forgotten about the power of high-touch moments that forge actual emotional connections. This kind of follow-through is almost unheard of in today's brand world. Most companies would've moved on to the next person on their list. But 1st Phorm gets something that a lot of brands miss: real loyalty isn't built through campaigns or offers, it's built through experiences that make people feel like they belong to something bigger. That's where lifetime value really takes off. Summer Smash is far beyond just an event; it's the kind of experience that flips the loyalty script entirely, where customers don't just buy, they simply belong. Here's what I think other brands can learn from this approach: ➟ Send unexpected value for no reason. A surprise product or handwritten note shows customers they matter beyond their purchase history. ➟ Build exclusive communities around shared values, not just products. Whether it's in-person events or virtual experiences, give your best customers something they can't get anywhere else. ➟ Create moments people actually talk about. A few hours with A-list talent or behind-the-scenes access beats another discount code every time. ➟ Lead with gratitude, not growth metrics. When thank-you moments drive your strategy instead of the other way around, authenticity follows naturally. The bottom line: loyalty is earned through emotion, experience, and belonging. If your brand isn't building that, you're just another transaction in someone's day. When did you last surprise your customers with something that wasn't even on your roadmap?

AI companionship just became the top consumer use case. But the EDENS CEO spent 18 years building the opposite. She solved loneliness using real estate. And here’s how: EDENS tracks something most retailers ignore: Emotional attachment. Here’s the data: • 3.5 trips per week per visitor • 5 hours of dwell time • 1.3% additional wallet share for every 1% increase in time spent Her thesis? Connected to a place = more visits, staying longer, and spending more. The kicker? McLean's team discovered something: Over 1 million annual trips by people seeking public space. Not shopping. Not errands. Just human connection. How does EDENS achieve this? The "Consequential Stranger" Playbook: 1. Physical Design: • Wider sidewalks (so people can walk side by side) • "Jewelry on sidewalks". Places to pause and connect • Art installations that spark conversations 2. Tenant Curation: • Local "mayors" - proprietors who know every customer's name • Mix of convenience and experience • Programming for 18-hour daily use cycles The contrarian bet: While capital floods into triple-net drive-thrus and single-tenant boxes. EDENS doubles down on complexity: • Mixed-use, open-air formats • Community programming • Hyperlocal curation • Emotional architecture The result? Exceptional performance in a sector everyone declared dead. What this means for real estate: Physical places that foster human connection are thriving. But it requires a fundamental shift from transactional to relational thinking. McLean's prediction for the 2030s? We'll still be talking about location and humanity as the defining factors in real estate success. In a world where people pay for AI friends. Maybe the real disruption is remembering we're human. Can physical retail spaces combat loneliness? Or are we fighting a losing battle against digital isolation?

“Customer Fill In” – A Truly Terrific Demo Tip!   I was watching demos that highlighted vendors’ customer-facing intake forms/portals and noted some poor practices. Each vendor claimed that end-customers “can complete the process in five minutes or less,” but:   -       They turned the 5-minute workflow into 15-30 minutes…! -       They used obviously fake demo data. -       They covered many options, often exhaustively! -       It was obvious that the demonstrators had presented the same demo pathway dozens of times (it sounded like the presenters were boring THEMSELVES!). -       The prospects were largely silent through the entire demos. -       And the vendors NEVER asked prospects to provide input into the workflows…   This last item really struck me as a MAJOR error! Our objective is to turn demos into CONVERSATIONS.   Here’s a truly terrific tip for these situations: Invite your prospect to be the end-customer and fill in the form!   Let’s say your software offers an intake portal for consumers who want a loan. You say to your prospect, “OK, let’s have YOU play the part of your customer. YOU tell me what to enter on each screen…”   Advantages?   -       You and your prospect COMPLETE the intake form in five minutes (proving your original claim). -       Your prospect gains a first-hand vision of how the process works. -       Your prospect THINKS about the options and asks relevant questions. -       And your prospect is fully engaged throughout the process!   This approach is called “Customer Fill In.”   Any time there is an option to choose from (and you don’t care about the choice), invite your PROSPECT to make the choice. They’ll be engaged, taking ownership of the process and the result. Delightful!   https://lnkd.in/gNBs5GTb

I analyzed 100+ loyalty programs in the last 30 days. Most brands still run loyalty like it’s 2009: Earn points, get a discount, repeat. The top 10%? They’re using loyalty to change behavior- not just reward it. If I were Head of Loyalty at a $10B+ brand today, here’s exactly what I’d do to build a program that drives LTV, repeat purchases, and real retention: 1. Stop Giving Away Loyalty - Make Them Pay for It Costco, RH, Barnes & Noble. When customers pay upfront, they buy in - literally and psychologically. Forget free points. Paid memberships = commitment, retention, higher LTV and emotional sunk cost. 2. Make Loyalty Required, Not Optional - Integrate Directly into Payments Starbucks preloads!!! When rewards are embedded in how people pay, behavior shifts faster, and for longer. This is probably the biggest opportunity in loyalty right now. 3. Forget Delayed Points - Instant Gratification is More Important Immediate dopamine beats theoretical future savings. Slow accumulation = slow engagement. Instant offers = repeat behavior. The 2nd purchase matters more than the 10th. 4. Make Loyalty Emotional, Not Transactional REI, North Face, Sephora. Customers want to belong, not just save. Identity, community, and shared values are outperforming cashbacks and discounts in driving long-term loyalty. Loyalty isn’t just a discount strategy, it’s a brand strategy. 5. Invest in Status + Experiences, not Generic Perks This isn't just theory – with companies like Rapha and Lululemon offering loyalty members exclusive product drops, community events and behind-the-scenes experiences. Lean into waitlists and exclusive product drops. Less financial. More status + psychological “being in the club.” 6. Reward Engagement, Not Just Transactions MoxieLash, Pacifica, Lucy & Yak. UGC. Reviews. Referrals. Loyalty now means participation. The modern flywheel starts before checkout - and lasts far beyond it. ~~ Bottom line? If your loyalty program is still playing a game from 15 years ago, your customers are going to find better options. Today, the best brands in 2025 aren’t just rewarding loyalty- they're engineering it. PS: We analyzed 100+ programs across QSR, retail, travel, and fintech. Next week I’ll share the Top 30 loyalty programs leading the way. Stay tuned🙏

In-person retail has found a way to fight back against e-commerce. Canada Goose is proving that the biggest mistake retailers make is rushing customers out the door, according to a WSJ article by Jennifer Williams. While most stores obsess over "efficiency" and quick transactions, Canada Goose is doing something counterintuitive: they're adding VIP lounges, comfy seating, Canadian art displays, and even a sub-freezing "cold room" to test gear! Try that, Amazon! The result? Their direct-to-consumer sales jumped nearly 16% year-over-year. This goes against conventional retail wisdom, but it's actually brilliant behavioral psychology in action. The Dwell Time Effect: Retailers know that longer dwell time correlates with more spending. Beyond the practical reasons for that, psychology plays a role, too. When we spend more time in an environment, we begin to experience what psychologists call the "endowment effect" - we start to feel psychological ownership of items simply by being around them longer. Research shows that touching or holding an item, even briefly, makes us feel more ownership and increases our perceived value of that product. Canada Goose's cold rooms where customers can test parkas aren't just cool (see what I did there?) - they're endowment effect enhancers. (Note that higher dwell time caused by long checkout lines or inability to find products is NOT going to help!) The Experience Economy Psychology: Coach is seeing the same pattern with their coffee bars and cocktail lounges. Their immersive stores are outperforming traditional locations because they invoke multiple influence principles as described by Robert Cialdini. First, RECIPROCATION - these nice people gave me a coffee or cocktail I'd have to pay for elsewhere, so I'm more inclined to reciprocate with a purchase. Second, COMMITMENT - I've spent a long time here, my behavior would be consistent if I bought something. We unconsciously justify the time investment by making a purchase. The Trust-Building Paradox: It seems counterintuitive, but when retailers stop trying to sell us something immediately, we become more likely to buy. Creating comfortable spaces signals confidence in the product and removes the pressure that triggers our psychological defenses. All these factors work together... The longer we stay, the more our brains shift from browsing mode to ownership mode and the more we trust the brand. Now it's your turn... Whether you're B2B or B2C, the principle applies: rushed interactions create defensive customers. Relaxed environments where customers can touch the product create confidence and make them more likely to buy. Ask yourself: Are you optimizing for transaction speed or psychological comfort? The companies winning in 2025 are choosing comfort. What's your experience? Have you noticed yourself spending more when retailers create environments that encourage you to linger?

Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” technology demonstrates how AI, computer vision, and sensor fusion - similar to what you’d see in autonomous vehicles - can radically transform the way we shop. Instead of waiting in a checkout line, customers simply pick items off the shelf and leave, while the system automatically bills them. Yet with any shift toward automation, there’s the question of how it impacts employment and community economics. If fewer cashiers and clerks are needed, the ripple effects on the local job market can’t be ignored. Additionally, some consumers worry about privacy - advanced tracking systems gather a lot of data on purchasing behaviors, raising concerns over how, where, and for what purpose that data is used. Still, there’s no doubt this is just the beginning of technology-driven changes in retail. Beyond cashier-less shops, we might soon see: - Personalized In-Store Experiences: AI-driven recommendations could pop up on screens or apps as you walk through aisles, guiding you to products based on past purchases or dietary preferences. - Augmented Reality (AR) Fitting Rooms: Try on clothes virtually, see how furniture fits in your living room - without physically moving a thing. - Automated Inventory & Restocking: Shelves that monitor stock levels in real time and reorder items as needed, helping stores avoid both stockouts and over-ordering. - Drone & Robot Deliveries: As last-mile delivery becomes faster, we may see robots handling short-distance delivery or drones zipping packages straight to a customer’s doorstep. What do you think the next big change will be? Is it further automation, more personalization, or something else entirely? #innovation #technology #future #management #startups

𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹: 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱—𝗔 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 AI is reshaping retail from the shelves to the supply chain. It’s not just about automation—it’s about anticipation. 📦 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 that aligns with real-time demand 🛍️ 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗿-𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 powered by behavior analytics 🤖 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 across chat, voice, and in-store kiosks 💡 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 in seconds, not days 📊 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 adapting to market shifts instantly The retailers thriving in 2025 will be those that treat AI not as a tool, but as a strategic co-pilot. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 → 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 → 𝘁𝗼 𝟭:𝟭 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 → 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗜-𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 But success isn’t just about plugging in models. It’s about embedding AI in the retail DNA across people, processes, and platforms.  • Frictionless shopping through cashier less stores powered by AI  • Real-time customer service with AI chatbots available 24/7  • Personalized product recommendations that drive conversion and loyalty  • Smart pricing strategies that adapt dynamically to market demand  • Accurate demand forecasting using predictive analytics, social media insights, and search trends  • Efficient fulfillment systems that adapt to stock changes and optimize order routing  • Smart shelves and carts for a smoother in-store experience  • AI-powered security systems to prevent theft and manage risk  • Sustainable practices using AI to reduce packaging waste and minimize excess inventory Retailers: The question isn’t “should we adopt AI?” It’s “how fast can we scale it responsibly?” Curious to explore how AI can unlock new growth for your brand? Let’s connect. I’d love to share what’s working—and what’s next. Follow Dr. Rishi Kumar for similar insights! ------- 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 - https://lnkd.in/dFtDWPi5 𝗫 - https://x.com/contactrishi 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺 - https://lnkd.in/d8_f25tH #AI #RetailInnovation #GenerativeAI #CustomerExperience #AIinRetail #DigitalTransformation #RetailTech