Kitchen retailers need to start thinking about what their employees’ challenges and priorities will be as as they resume in-store sales.

The 2020 lockdowns have reset the way that kitchen retailers need to engage with, manage, and motivate their staff as stores reopen. Sales, operations and merchandising teams will return to stores that are not the same as before, mirroring the changes that have affected the kitchen retail sector as a whole. Conscious about minimizing the time they spend in-store, customers are starting their purchase journeys online, and come into store expecting sales experts to help them make up their minds quickly. They are more budget-conscious and risk-averse than before. There are more stores competing fiercely for a share of the wallet, eroding margins and commissions. All these circumstances add up to a stressful environment for staff, especially sales teams.

High-performing employees are the biggest driver of the top line, delivering up to eight times more value for an organization than an average employee. Kitchen retailers serious about attracting and retaining them need to start thinking about what their employees’ challenges and priorities will be as they resume in-store sales.

One of the biggest transformations in retail has happened almost overnight – new ways of shopping, online-savvy customers, and e-commerce have changed shopper behavior in far-reaching ways. The function of the physical store is to complement and extend the online experience seamlessly. Better integration of technology into the in-store experience will not only enable staff to delight customers, but it will allow quick problem resolution and provide insight and context into consumer preferences.

A 3D planning solution, such as HomeByMe for Kitchen Retailers, can empower employees to work efficiently and to their best ability. The solution is a sophisticated online platform that allows both sales experts and consumers to design a dream kitchen in minutes. Once the dimensions have been added, the solution provides layout recommendations and access to the store catalog, allowing users to create kitchens through a responsive and high-quality interface. Features such as automated alerts aligned with building rules, automatic real-time price updates, and life-like renders make the design process user-friendly even for a layman. Consumers have the option to save their designs and schedule appointments with in-store experts for a final check before they place an order.

Staff can access the customer’s design before the appointment so that they can make the in-store experience much smoother and more effective. The solution’s big data capabilities offer insights into consumer preferences and trends, and also integrate with CRM systems for targeted follow up if needed.

This type of platform is a valuable tool to encourage and empower top performers.

Enables teams to excel: It is incumbent on employers to provide the resources and tools needed for their top employees to succeed. Employees who already have an insight into the customer’s preferences perform much better in customer-facing scenarios as they can provide real-time solutions. With a 3D planning solution, sales and marketing teams can capitalize on the insight the solution offers into customer preferences, designs and trends to deliver increased sales and create a true omnichannel experience.

Provides opportunities for personal growth and development: High performing employees are driven; and personal growth is one of the most effective drivers for job satisfaction. Regardless of sector, technological upskilling is one of the most important avenues for personal and organizational growth: it refreshes the skillsets even of senior people, helps them improve efficiency and expands the scope of what staff can achieve. Allowing top retail employees to upskill with technology is one of the most reliable ways to encourage and support improvement efforts. While the HomeByMe for Kitchen Retailers 3D planning solution is easy to use and learn, its rich capabilities offer a range of learning and enrichment opportunities, allowing motivated performers to achieve better outcomes.

Offers increased flexibility: With employees saying they value work-life balance and flexibility above all else, kitchen retailers need to find ways to allow their staff to be productive and achieve their potential even if they are unable to come into the store. The HomeByMe for Kitchen Retailers 3D planning solution is hosted in the cloud and accessible from any computer or tablet connected to the internet, allowing employees to log on, design spaces, and access data from anywhere. Depending upon store policies, top designers could even offer online consultations via video conferencing and using screen sharing techniques.

Serves as a challenge: Motivated and high performing individuals grow quickly when they are offered a challenge. Learning how to operate and gain benefit from a new technological platform like a 3D planning solution is the type of positive, motivating challenge that strong performers need to enable them to upskill and deliver at new levels. Rewarding early adopters of the solution and encouraging them to share their new skills with peers is also a good tool for accelerating uptake, staff mentorship and team building.

Kitchen retailers today face a significant challenge when it comes to making their organizations talent worthy and motivating their high-performers. This is an especially demanding task when dealing with strong-performing veterans who are facing tremendous uncertainty in the overall environment. High performing employee engagement is the key to better business results, and rolling out a solution like the HomeByMe for Kitchen Retailers 3D planning solution can have a positive impact on staff motivation, engagement and retention.

Get in touch and schedule a demo to find out more: 3DVIA.Sales@3ds.com