When perceived value is not obvious, or when the level of service slips, the customer disappears, usually without a comment or complaint. A successful business must know its customers. It must know a. what customers buy. Shoppers will part with their money when they perceive more value, convenience, recognition, solutions, or security in the product or service offered than in the money they currently hold. Businesses must be open when customers buy.
People usually buy in new, clean, convenient, and comfortable surroundings.
Study the success of others. Study the competition, know their products, promotion, and pricing. If a competitor is having a big sale, see if the sale creates buying activity or just traffic. Survival and prosperity in retail often depend on the ability to deliver superior customer service. Nordstrom maintains a database of its customer's birthdays, with the size and color of clothing most recently purchased, and the telephone number of each family member.