Imagine this: A customer walks into a bustling retail store, eager to make a purchase. They’ve seen your product online, read the reviews, and are nearly convinced that this is the right choice. But as they approach a store associate for confirmation, something unexpected happens. The associate, juggling numerous products and customer inquiries, hesitates. Lacking detailed knowledge of your product, they might steer the customer towards a competitor’s item they know better. In that moment, the sale—and your brand’s carefully crafted story—could be lost.
This scenario is more common than you might think. It happens daily in retail stores, impacting brands in significant ways. Despite heavy investment in digital marketing to shape consumer preferences, 80% of purchases still occur in physical stores. The critical point of purchase, where the customer makes their final decision, is often where brands lose control of their narrative.
Keeping Your Brand Top of Mind
For brands with products in retail stores, the challenge isn’t a lack of effort by sales associates—they manage a wide array of products and customer needs. You’ve built brand awareness online, but without the right support and tools in place, associates may struggle to prioritize your brand over others. This isn’t just frustrating; it’s a significant challenge that requires a strategic solution.
Even with a dedicated brand rep who can educate and energize store associates, there are limitations. Brand reps can only be in so many places at once. Their influence, while significant, is often spread thin across multiple locations. What they need is a supportive tool that amplifies their efforts and helps them make a substantial impact on the sales floor.
Empowering Sales Associates to Become Brand Advocates
But what if there was a way to ensure that every time a customer steps into a store, the sales associates are not just aware of your brand but actively advocating for it?
Consider the consumer trends:
- 60% of consumers start their shopping experience online, and 88% go into a retail store to make their purchase.
- Yet, 63% don’t have a specific brand in mind when they walk in. Here’s where your brand can make a significant difference—if the sales associate is knowledgeable and confident, 90% of customers are more likely to buy.
- 86% of consumers are willing to pay more for a brand product with a better in-store experience.
However, without enough familiarity with your brand, associates might not recommend it confidently. With hundreds of products to juggle, your brand might not stand out. And just like that, a potential sale can slip through your fingers.
For brands, this scenario is more than frustrating—it’s a missed opportunity. You’ve invested in creating brand awareness, but without a strong presence in retail stores, that awareness might not translate into sales. It’s a gap in the customer journey that many brands are striving to bridge.
Bridging the Gap Between Online Influence and In-Store Sales
This is where a specialized retail sales enablement platform comes in. Steve Gendron, the CEO and founder behind this innovative solution at ENDVR, understands these challenges better than most. Having spent 19 years working in retail and running a sales agency, Steve has witnessed firsthand how difficult it is for brands to ensure their products remain top of mind for sales associates. He’s watched as brands strive to make an impact in stores, despite their best marketing efforts.
Steve created ENDVR to address this exact challenge. ENDVR connects brands directly with the retail associates who have the power to influence buying decisions. By providing these associates with the right knowledge, updates, and incentives, the platform turns them into passionate advocates for your brand. This isn’t just about increasing sales—it’s about regaining control of your brand’s story at the most critical point in the customer journey.
Real Success Stories of Brands Regaining Influence Over In-Store Sales
Leading brands like Columbia, Salomon, Blundstone, SPY, and Vuori have harnessed the power of ENDVR to transform their in-store strategies. Columbia and Salomon have driven significant sales growth by ensuring their products are top of mind for retail staff. Vuori’s Director of Wholesale and Event Marketing highlights the platform’s impact, noting, “ENDVR has been transformative, enhancing brand visibility across all our wholesale partners directly from my office. It keeps retail staff engaged through various interactive and informative methods, ensuring they’re well-versed in our products. The sales incentives have also been a tremendous success!”
See It in Action: Watch a 3-Minute Demo
Don’t let your brand’s story fade at the point of sale. Watch ENDVR’s 3-minute demo to see how this innovative solution can help your brand drive revenue in-store. Learn how you can start turning sales associates into your most powerful brand advocates and give your brand reps the strategic support they need to make an even greater impact.
