More than two-thirds of consumers say they have avoided a place of business based on how it looks from the street. So say the results from a recent survey conducted by market research and consulting firm Morpace.
“We asked consumers how much of an impact a retail store’s appearance has [from the street] on their decision to go in,” researchers explain. “The results indicated that physical appearance does matter, significantly. And it suggests that retailers in all industries – from automotive to restaurants to big box – should focus on the external presentation of their building to ensure there are satisfied customers inside.”
Over half of the consumers polled said they have avoided a business all together because “it looked dirty from the outside,” according to researchers. “These consumers form an opinion of a business based on physical presence, which heavily influences their decision to shop at a location.”
More than 80 percent of consumers in the survey acknowledged shopping only once at a location and then never returning because the business did not meet their expectations – i.e. they received poor customer service (68 percent), the store was disorganized or they could not find what they were looking for (53 percent), and/or the business looked “dirty” (32 percent).
So wash your windows, mow the lawn, sweep the sidewalk -- and even then, don’t assume that what looks good to you will entice your target audience; instead, think of how the buyer sees your store. “The perceptions that consumers have of the ‘look’ of a retail storefront may not agree with the retailers’. After all, the expectations consumers have are developed largely by what your competitors are doing,” say researchers.
Posted by Mary Slepicka
