
Retail
How Retailers Can Elevate the In-Store Experience in 2025
Written by: Parcel Pending
4 Min Read
Published: May 14, 2025
Shoppers today want the joy of an exceptional in-store experience. They want the delight of discovering innovative finds, trying new products, and engaging all of their senses in the process. Here’s why the in-store experience is essential for your customers – both in 2025 and beyond.
In-Store Shopping Sentiment is On the Rise
Despite rumors that in-store shopping is dead, 2024 marks the third straight year where new retail store openings are projected to exceed closures.1 Further, 61% of consumers in 2024 reported that they enjoy the in-store retail experience, up a whopping 21% from last year’s study.2 Not wanting to wait for home delivery and package theft fears contributed to the positive response.
Consumers Expect Exceptional In-Store Experiences
Retailers can reap significant benefits by making the in-store shopping experience as pleasurable as possible – particularly if they’re looking to attract younger customers. Millennials agree: 70% report that the quality of the shopping experience influences where they shop.3 Gen Z also prefers shopping in physical stores, with nearly three-quarters of them shopping in-person once per week, according to research from payments company Adyen.4 However, this generation votes with its wallet and will walk away if the store experience doesn’t meet their expectations: 3 in 5 Gen Z respondents to Ayden’s survey said they will abandon their cart if the checkout line is too long or if their preferred payment method isn’t available.
While millennials and Gen Z pack a significant purchasing power and should be minded, research shows that the in-person shopping experience matters – regardless of generation. An analysis of 50,000 customer reviews of US and UK retailers found that 48% of negative reviews resulted from problems with the in-store experience, such as “mismanaged checkouts” and “unhelpful service.”5 The potential losses are estimated to add up to $262 billion in revenue annually.
Retailers are adapting to try and streamline the customer experience without compromising on service quality. For instance, Walmart has recently removed many self-checkout lanes, a common consumer sore spot, and replaced them with cashiers. As Charles Crowson, a Walmart spokesman, explains: “We believe the changes will improve the in-store shopping experience and give our associates the chance to provide more personalized and efficient service.”6 ChangeUp’s Chief Operating Officer, Lynn Gonsior, summarizes the retail landscape this way: “Retailers must listen, adapt, and design spaces that resonate deeply with their customers.”7
Returns’ Influence on the In-Store Experience
Although returns are a $890 billion headache for retailers annually, there’s an opportunity to boost loyalty and sales by delivering a good in-store return experience.8 For the first time since early 2020, most consumers (55%) prefer returning online purchases at physical stores rather than by mail.9 According to Parcel Pending’s Retail Customer Experience Survey Global Report, 62% of consumers say they would buy more from a brand if they had a positive experience with returns.10
How Smart Lockers Help Retailers Transform the In-Store Customer Experience
When it comes to elevating the in-store experience, smart lockers are a retailer’s perfect partner: delivering more convenience, efficiency, profitability, loyalty, and a positive customer experience – regardless of whether the shopper is picking up or returning a purchase.
- MORE Convenience: Shoppers can retrieve and return their orders on their schedule, and lockers are often available 24/7/365.
- MORE Efficiency: Picking up and returning orders at the store has the smallest impact on retailers’ margins, while delivering a quick, self-service process for shoppers.
- MORE Profitability: New research demonstrates that 40% of shoppers make additional purchases when visiting stores for online order pick-ups or returns.11
- MORE Loyalty: Customers who wait less than 2 minutes for order pick-ups are more than four times as likely to return to the store.
As store footfall continues to increase, the in-store customer experience once again reigns supreme. Embracing smart lockers to handle customer pick-ups and returns leads to a positive experience and more efficiency, loyalty, and profitability.
Ready to discover how smart lockers can elevate your in-store experience? Speak to a Parcel Pending representative today.
Sources:
- King, Kate. A Bright Spot in Commercial Real Estate: Retail Shops. www.wsj.com. August 21, 2023. https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/commercial/a-bright-spot-in-commercial-real-estate-retail-shops-a3ef009e
- RetailCustomerExperience.com. In-store shopping sentiment on rise, consumers expect omnichannel experience. www.retailcustomerexperience.com. October 7, 2024. https://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/news/in-store-shopping-sentiment-on-rise-consumers-expect-omnichannel-experience/
- RetailCustomerExperience.com. In-store experience proving influential with millennial shoppers. www.retailcustomerexperience.com. April 17, 2025. https://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/news/in-store-experience-proving-influential-with-millennial-shoppers/
- Marin-Lopez, Xanarya. Gen Z still prefers in-person shopping. www.retaildive.com. January 27, 2025. https://www.retaildive.com/news/gen-z-in-person-shopping-beauty-luxury-adyen/738198/
- Vuocolo, Alex. Poor in-store experiences are losing retailers billions: survey. www.retailbrew.com. December 6, 2024. https://www.retailbrew.com/stories/2024/12/06/poor-in-store-experiences-are-losing-retailers-billions-survey
- Khan, Natasha. Retailers Scale Back Self-Checkouts to Curb Irritation – and Theft. www.wsj.com. May 4, 2024. https://www.wsj.com/business/retail/retailers-shake-up-self-checkouts-to-curb-irritationand-theft-faa795ed
- RetailCustomerExperience.com. In-store experience proving influential with millennial shoppers. www.retailcustomerexperience.com. April 17, 2025. https://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/news/in-store-experience-proving-influential-with-millennial-shoppers/
- National Retail Federation. NRF and Happy Returns Report: 2024 Retail Returns to Total $890 Billion. nrf.com. December 5, 2024. https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/nrf-and-happy-returns-report-2024-retail-returns-total-890-billion
- RetailCustomerExperience.com. In-store shopping sentiment on rise, consumers expect omnichannel experience. www.retailcustomerexperience.com. October 7, 2024. https://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/news/in-store-shopping-sentiment-on-rise-consumers-expect-omnichannel-experience/
- Parcel Pending by Quadient. From Chaos to Convenience: How Lockers Are Changing the Return Game. www.parcelpending.com. October 5, 2023. https://www.parcelpending.com/en-us/resources/retail-dive-returns-playbook/
- RetailCustomerExperience.com. In-store shopping sentiment on rise, consumers expect omnichannel experience. www.retailcustomerexperience.com. October 7, 2024. https://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/news/in-store-shopping-sentiment-on-rise-consumers-expect-omnichannel-experience/