by Esther Bendayan | October 28, 2020
COVID-19 has changed the world. Shopping habits and preferences are not the same as they were six months ago. Shopping is now a planned experience because people want a safer, contactless and individualized experience. Appointment shopping is not a new concept, but many retailers have been implementing the service so that they can open their brick-and-mortar stores while respecting pandemic guidelines and avoiding health risks.
What is Appointment Shopping?
Appointment shopping means that customers can schedule an appointment online to shop in a physical store location. Some retailers allow customers to schedule an appointment for a specific time or even with a specific store associate. Appointment shopping has been offered by some retailers for many years. In the past, this experience was typically reserved for luxury shopping stores.
Apple has been scheduling their genius bar appointments in advance for years to ensure that all their customers get the best service. Jesta I.S. client, Harry Rosen, implemented this service, known as Harry by Appointment, years ago. The retailer allows customers to book a tailored shopping appointment through their website. In addition, the service allows for a store associate to personally curate items according to previous purchases and shopping habits. Many retailers, such as Best Buy, are now implementing this concept to lure more customers to their physical locations.
The Benefits of Appointment Shopping
There are many benefits of implementing this feature on your website. For example, with new COVID-19 guidelines, store associates can easily manage how many shoppers are in the store at once. This will ensure that customers feel safe when shopping at physical locations. Another benefit of appointment shopping is that it allows you to provide customers with a personalized, curated shopping experience. As shown by brands such as Harry Rosen and SSENSE, retailers can track consumers’ past shopping habits and provide selections based on these insights.
Consumers are used to scheduling appointments. This habit is typically applied to restaurant reservations, gym classes and beauty services. Due to changing safety standards and customer expectations, this practice is now becoming the norm in the retail world.
