I'm a Working Mom: 5 Ways Your Retail Store Can Win Me Over

Summary: I’m an online-grocery-curbside-pickup-Amazon Prime-pay-to-tap kinda working mom. And if you’re a retailer, the way to woo me is to give me exactly that kind of customer experience. But don’t worry, I won’t let you figure it out on your own. Below I’ve outlined five ways you can attract and keep the interest of customers like me.

As a single working mom of three, I’m a no-nonsense shopper. I need to be judicious with my time and any store, restaurant and otherwise will have to respect that. My top priorities are convenience and efficiency: get me to my items immediately so I can buy them and get on with my day.

Online and hybrid shopping are my go-tos. And if I do have to visit an actual, physical store, it won’t be for browsing. I’ve often done a quick online search to make sure the item is in stock at a store “near me” and that the online reviews are at least 4.8 stars. The online storefront needs to be just as polished and convenient, if not moreso, than the actual store. Every part of my journey should indicate that I’m going to find exactly what I need and at top quality.

My shopping style is one shared by most of my fellow working women. We make up the majority of shoppers globally (89% of women, according to Nielsen). And we like online. 74% of online shoppers in the United States are working mothers. Women also control over $31.8 trillion in worldwide spending.

Combined with the global shift to an online digital way of life, and it’s no wonder the businesses winning them over have shifted their strategy to e-commerce based. According to a recent McKinsey report, B2B decision makers are using more channels than ever before. In fact, the number of channels has doubled in just five years. 

It’s an impressive but achievable metric, if you include the right elements in your customer journey. According to Enterpreneur.com, establishing this type of experience takes just a few shifts in focus:

1.     Go omnichannel

Ultimately, we shoppers want variety. That means online, in-store and hybrid. It’s a lot of extra that requires an ecommerce platform primed to unify all the channels.

It should have a single point-of-sale system and a way for you to have visibility and control over your sales, order, and inventory for each channel. It should also enable a seamless and consistent brand experience for your consumers—and be easy, consistent and unifying for your staff.

2.     Be present with your online presence

Become one with your search engine and make sure you have an easy storefront experience that helps people easily find what they need and optimizes their in-store experience (e.g., tells me to find it “In Stock, aisle 56” at your store). Make sure it's kept up-to-date.

All of this contributes to your reputation and that super-important first impression. If the landing page is hokey, I'm less likely to go to the store. 

3.     Get social

No, it’s not just a fleeting trend. Social ads are key right now. Even the metaverse is being used to advertise in-game on Roblox to establish firm brand awareness in the customers of the future.

What can you do now? Make use of TikTok and Instagram reels to promote your wares.

It'll take a bit of focus and research to know where your ideal audience is, but sooo worth it. 69% of Millennial moms use blogs to learn about new products, while 64% use other social platforms. And a whopping 81% of shoppers make a purchase after seeing it on social media.

4.     Don’t forget about buy online, pay in store (BOPIS)

Curbside pickup surged during the pandemic and consumers have grown to like it. Experts are predicting BOPIS will reach over $703 billion by 2027!

The trick with curbside pickup is to make sure you have the stock to fulfill those orders. Nothing worse than seeing "Out of Stock" for everything or getting a grocery order with multiple substitutions (even weird ones like sausage rolls instead of toilet rolls).

5.     In-store boosters

Despite my hermit-like shopping habits, brick-and mortar retail is still preferable for the majority of consumers. But if I’m going to be in a store, it’s got to impress me. Today that means quick, attentive, respectful service, adequate staff, and a carefully curated aesthetic. Going through the doors should evoke surprise and delight, according to Forbes, and an immersive “brand” experience.

This is where customers can get that personalized attentiveness and warmth that’s lacking online. It’s a chance to ask questions, get advice and touch and feel the items.

Some retailers are even going the extra mile, differentiating with immersive reality elements. Restaurants like Pizza Hut have added augmented reality to transform their pizza boxes into a virtual arcade for playing Pac-Man. (Talk about knowing your customers!) 

Coming to a location near you

At the end of the day, customers today are expecting new levels of service and convenience that only a strategic shift in focus can achieve. The good news is, there are things you can do to cater to a customer like me. Make an effort to perfect your online presence and offer all the options: online, in-store, hybrid. These cast a wide net and go a long way to impress a variety of customers preferences—and make the lives of customers like me a lot easier. Have fun with it! And enjoy the boost in business that these changes can bring. I’m coming to your location next 😉