It’s no secret that the home and garden industry is booming: The sector is predicted to grow at a rate of 3.5% globally through 2028. Home and garden brands have clearly found ways to stand up to challenges like inflation and post-pandemic drops in consumer spending. But between shoppers’ changing expectations and increasing competition, these businesses need to remain agile to stay ahead of the curve.
One crucial pillar of the home and garden industry—the in-store experience—can be a savvy brand’s secret weapon. Even when they browse online first, shoppers often want to experience products like home decor and gardening accessories in person before they buy. After all, McKinsey & Co. found that 81% of all consumers choose to research a purchase on multiple channels before buying.
Choosing a POS system that enhances the customer experience at every turn is critical for success. Whether it’s offering customers multiple shipping and pick-up options so they can try, buy, and receive items how they prefer, or seamlessly merging sales channels to ensure accurate inventory, the right POS solution will take your home and garden business to the next level.
Let’s take a look at three common challenges for home and garden businesses and how Shopify POS gives brands an edge.
Building customer loyalty in a crowded marketplace
Thriving in a rapidly expanding market means retaining a reliable customer base. And there’s no better way to make sure your shoppers return time and time again than by showing you understand what they care about. One way to do that is through targeted loyalty and discount programs.
Businesses in the home and garden industry benefit from the purchasing power of hobbyists, interior designers, and other dependable return buyers. But creating targeted discounts that will appeal to these shoppers and boost your revenue is difficult without a clear picture of customer purchasing behavior.
Shopify POS’s powerful CRM tools give businesses crucial clarity through robust, unified customer profiles. These profiles can help you determine if your customers like to shop online and buy in-person, or vice versa, and other helpful data to inform your business choices. With customers’ purchase history and preferences available at the click of a button, staff are equipped to give personalized recommendations catered to that customer. Coupled with instant email capture at checkout, customers can easily opt into discount programs, sign up for trade accounts, and join other marketing lists that will keep them coming back.
Shopify POS also intuitively integrates with dozens of third-party loyalty apps to create customized solutions with customer data. With those valuable insights in hand, you can build retail discount solutions that are optimized for your brand’s growth.
Creating a standout in-store experience
Elevating the shopping experience at your brick-and-mortar locations is one of the best ways to set your home and garden business apart. Whether your customers are buying a succulent or a sofa, they expect a smooth and engaging experience from start to finish. But many traditional POS systems don’t offer an efficient checkout process. Plus, they leave businesses saddled with inaccurate inventory and sales information that prevents staff from providing top-tier customer service.
Shopify’s versatile suite of POS hardware gives home and garden businesses flexible options for faster, more transparent checkout so customers never leave empty-handed:
- POS Go is an all-in-one handheld POS solution designed for efficient and quick in-store transactions. POS Go allows your staff the ability to meet the customer where they are and make sales from anywhere in the store.
- The POS Terminal Countertop Kit makes checkout at the counter a breeze with popular payment options and itemized costs so customers know exactly what they’re paying for. And with up-to-date inventory data from all channels directly from the POS system, your staff have everything they need to clinch the sale every time. Brands who have switched to Shopify POS report a 40% increase in in-store conversions.
Streamlining inventory management across channels
Home and garden brands are no stranger to seasonality when it comes to stocking storefronts. When the air has turned chilly, shoppers begin looking for holiday decorations. And when spring has arrived, gardeners start searching for the best products to tend their flower beds. To keep up with shifting seasonal trends, you need the ability to forecast demand and optimize stock levels across locations for products that won’t sell in just a few months’ time.
Shopify POS gives your brand powerful demand forecasting and inventory analysis to make sure you never deal with stockouts. Customers can return to your stores with confidence that they’ll always find what they’re looking for, no matter the season.
With a unified back office that synchronizes your online and in-store inventory data you’ll get an overarching view of customer purchasing behavior. That means you can reallocate the hours you’ve spent manually updating stock counts toward making informed business decisions. Customers who have switched to Shopify POS report spending 40% less time reconciling inventory, which translates to more time engaging with customers on the sales floor.
Bring home sales and seed success with Shopify POS
Your POS system should alleviate stress and add value, not pile on to your day-to-day business management. With Shopify POS, you’ll get easy-to-use solutions for any challenges you face. Equip your stores and staff with purpose-built tools that help you optimize your inventory, make the sale, and sow long-term customer loyalty.
