Guys and girls, big and small, tall and short, grumpy and happy. And that changes everything. Because while the interior design of a store may be the same as many others, and while the product selection may be very similar too, it's the people you find behind the counters that make it different. People provide the potential for the unexpected. People can surprise you.
People make the shopping experience more personable and enjoyable.
So here's something to try on your site. Give your site a human voice. That voice could belong to you or to some of the people you work with. As an example, let's say I'm buying water bottles and some nutrition bars at a mountain biking site. I dropped mine in a race last week and at least five other riders ran over it.