Shopping in a brick-and-mortar store in the Philippines offers its unique thrills. Many customers desire the tactile experience of feeling a fabric or the immediacy of taking an item home right after purchase. However, in-person shopping often brings along its set of headaches and frustrations that any Pinoy consumer will immediately recognize. Whether it’s crowded malls, urban traffic, or poorly managed checkout processes, many challenges can arise that make in-person shopping seem like more trouble than it’s worth.
Given the mounting pressures of digital competition and changing consumer behaviors, retailers can't afford to ignore these pain points anymore. Addressing customers’ common difficulties does more than just guarantee their comfort; it’s also a vital strategic play. If you operate a brick-and-mortar store in the Philippines, you’ll definitely want to invest in a better in-store experience to boost customer loyalty and improve your business's bottom line.
Let's delve into some common irritations that Filipino consumers face during in-store shopping and explore ways to smooth out those wrinkles.
Overcrowded Stores
Malls in the Philippines are often so packed they can rival a rock concert, particularly on weekends, peak hours, or holiday sale periods. This makes in-person shopping inevitably stressful. Shoppers find themselves in a near-battlefield, jostling for space, waiting in long queues, and navigating through the chaos just to make a purchase. Shoppers find themselves spending more time in lines at the checkout counter just to make a purchase. The outcome? Customers may end up looking for alternative stores to shop at.
Fortunately, there are many steps you can take to prevent overcrowding for a more pleasant in-store experience. For starters, it’s best to design your store layout with crowd management in mind. Wider aisles, well-placed signs, and multiple checkout counters can all contribute to a more pleasant shopping atmosphere. Digital solutions can also make a world of difference here. Advanced POS systems, like Maya Terminal, can significantly speed up payment transactions. The Maya POS terminal enables you to accept multiple forms of payments quickly and securely, which reduces the length of queues and shortens wait times. The result is a more efficient shopping experience, encouraging repeat visits.
Traveling to Shopping Establishments
Traffic in the Philippines has long been a notorious inconvenience, both in Metro Manila and other urban centers around the country. The sheer effort it takes to reach a shopping establishment, especially during rush hours, can sap the joy out of the shopping experience before it even begins. If the journey to the mall takes longer than the time customers spend inside it, that's a serious deterrent to in-person shopping.
The good news is that there are innovative ways to bring the shopping experience closer to the consumer. Pop-up stores are an excellent solution, bringing your brand to neighborhoods and event spaces where people already gather. And if you fancy yourself a particularly tech-savvy retailer, integrating an online shopping option with in-store pick-up can also minimize travel woes. Maya Terminal Lite is an ideal solution for such formats. This portable Maya credit card terminal also accommodates other digital methods such as debit card, e-wallet, and QR payments, making it a perfect companion for pop-up stores, delivery services, or even meet-up transactions. This way, you bring your point-of-sale directly to the customer, easing the pain of the commute.
Inconvenient Payment Methods
Picture this: you've finally made it through the maze of aisles, chosen your items, and now you're at the checkout counter—only to find out that the store doesn't accept your preferred method of payment. Maybe you’ve found yourself at a cash-only establishment, or perhaps they don't accept a specific credit card. Either way, being unable to pay with their preferred method is a hassle that leaves consumers feeling inconvenienced and possibly even abandoning their purchases altogether.
That's where a versatile payment terminal becomes invaluable. Maya Terminal and Maya Terminal Lite offer businesses the flexibility to accept a wide range of payment options, including e-wallets, QR codes, and card payments. When you equip your store with a Maya Business terminal, you're sending the message that you have your customers’ backs however they prefer to pay. This removes a significant barrier for consumers and enables your business to cater to diverse payment preferences.
Sales Pressure
No one likes walking into a store and immediately being swarmed by sales personnel pushing products or promotions in a way that feels overly aggressive. Sales pressure can be an immediate turn-off for many customers. When the interaction feels more like a sales pitch than genuine help, consumers are likely to walk out without making a purchase.
Well-trained staff who understand the art of customer interaction can prevent such alienating scenarios and create more positive relations with your customer base. Give your employees opportunities to learn about the products they are selling and about how to engage meaningfully with customers in-store. Emphasize the need to focus on understanding customer needs and offering helpful recommendations, rather than pushing a sale. This altered approach will ease the pressure on the customer and also encourage them to trust your brand, which is vital for any long-term business relationship.
Limited Selection
Customers are likely to be frustrated if they can’t find a specific item they’re looking for in-store, or if the store doesn’t carry the item they want in the size or color they prefer. At worst, they may find the perfect item but realize it's out of stock. Limited choices result in lost sales opportunities and unsatisfied customers who are likely to seek alternatives elsewhere.
One solution is to integrate your in-store and online inventories. This allows for a more extensive product range that’s visible to consumers, even if certain items are not physically available in the store. This can be coupled with the option for in-store pick-ups for online orders, enhancing convenience and choice.
Elevate Your Brick-and-Mortar Store’s Operations with Maya Business
Working with Maya Business will make it easier than ever for you to eliminate customer pain points and create a one-of-a-kind shopping experience at your brick-and-mortar store. All you need to do is create a Maya Business Manager account to enjoy access to top-notch business banking, payment, and cash flow solutions, including Maya Terminal and Maya Terminal Lite. The best part is that you don’t even need to be a large business to take advantage of the best available tools. The Maya Terminal price is deliberately accessible, allowing businesses of any size to enjoy its benefits.
Signing on with Maya Business also entitles you to exclusive promos like our Maya 1-2-3 Grow bundle, which can help grow your business by leaps and bounds in a matter of mere months from your initial onboarding. Perks you’ll receive include a 1% MDR (merchant discount rate) on all QR Ph transactions for 3 months, enabling your startup or SME to make substantial savings effortlessly. Setting Maya Business Deposit as your settlement account also entitles you to a 2.5% p.a. interest rate and free fund transfers via PesoNet and InstaPay. Lastly, choosing Maya 1-2-3 Grow entitles you to a Maya Flexi Loan offer of up to PHP 2 million within only 3 months of signing, granting you additional capital for your business. With Maya Business’s unbeatable promos and digital solutions in your corner, there’s nothing your business can’t achieve.
