5 Ways To Prevent Walkaways At Retail Stores

By Emmanuel Wreh, APG Cash Drawer

Long checkout lanes, disorganized shelves and hard-to-find products lead to frustrated shoppers. And when customers get frustrated, they often give up on a store and walk out, especially if there’s no associate around to help them.

Retailers can avoid walkaways with a few steps to improve the customer experience. Some require better planning, while others will take investment in new technologies. But if executed properly, these measures will keep customers coming back. Here are five steps to take into consideration:

1. Optimizing Staff Schedules

Scheduling staff shifts according to store traffic may seem obvious, but stores don’t always get this right. During busy hours, it makes sense to have more employees at checkout lanes to shorten transaction times and at customer service to readily answer questions and accept returns. When things slow down, you need fewer staff at checkout – but still making sure enough workers are available to stock shelves and manage inventory.