Retailers risk turning off stressed festive shoppers

Christmas can be a stressful time –last minute preparations along with struggling to find the ‘right’ gift for a friend or loved one can all lead to pressure and undue stress.

New research from the University of Oxford reveals that this stress could lead to consumers avoiding certain stores over the Christmas period. After studying how consumer mood affects behaviour, a marketing expert from the University of Oxford concluded that stressed out consumers will avoid overly upbeat salespeople and retail stores holding Christmas celebrations. The contrast between the customers stressed out mood and the atmosphere in the store leads consumers to feel worse and less willing to purchase.

There is little doubt that this behaviour will adversely affect retailers sales leading up to Christmas – they may see less footfall resulting in a decline in sales. Research shows there are a number of things retailers can do:

• Reduce queues in storeOur Integrated Chip and Pin solutions reduce the time your customers spend waiting in queues – greatly increasing efficiency at the point of service and maximising sales opportunities. Not only this, your customer’s experience in store will be improved by reducing waiting time for bills and receipts.
• Rethink the musicThe research from the University of Oxford shows that the music you have in store can have a profound effect on how consumers feel. Instead of blasting out cheesy Christmas anthems, consider a more mellow classical Christmas melody.
• Tone down the decorationsRather than garish reds and bold golds, consider blues, silvers and whites which are shown to be more relaxing for the customer.

The research shows that subtle changes as above can lead to a customer to feel more positive and less stressed. For more information on using Integrated Chip and Pin to reduce queues in your business and maximise your profits call us on 01254 881177.