INSIDER VIEW: Is a smile too much to ask for?

The golden days of high street retail, these are not.

That’s not to say that there isn’t plenty to be optimistic and cheerful about, especially in light of the US administration’s announcement of reduced tariffs on Swiss imports, as I alluded to in my article the other week.

But you only have to look at the big name closures from the past decade or so – Debenhams, House of Fraser, and Ted Baker in the UK; Rite Aid and Joann Fabrics in the States – to see that times are tough.

In the UK, the anecdotal evidence is as strong as the empirical proof, with many town centres appearing as shadows of their former selves. Boxing Day sales do not move the needle anywhere near as much as they used to.

Throw into the mix the ever-increasing role of e-commerce and the turbulent economic times that we’re currently enduring, and it’s hardly a surprise that a lot of retailers are finding things tough.

My intention is not to dwell on doom and gloom. But, against this rather grim backdrop, it strikes me that it’s never been more important to make the in-store experience for customers as relevant and enjoyable as possible.

The most successful watch retailers out there understand this, which is why they continue to thrive. They’re not cutting corners and firing staff and shutting stores. They’re investing millions into refurbs and expansions, and hiring staff to go with it, and installing event spaces and champagne bars.

Of course, it’s easy for me to spend other companies’ money and say “It’s simple, just spend more,” but I do think there are some things that should be non-negotiable.

For instance, when I was out shopping in the days leading up to Christmas, on two occasions I was served by individuals who didn’t look me in the eye once, and didn’t say anything or acknowledge me when I said “Thanks” after I’d paid and was leaving. How is this possible? How have standards fallen this far?

The unemployment rate in the US has been rising and has now reached about 4.6%, the highest it’s been since Covid. The figure in the UK 5.1%, which has been on the rise for over a year now. With millions of unemployed people waiting in the wings, surely employed staff in retailers should be more motivated than ever to do a good job.

Whether the issue is a cultural one (it’s perhaps too easy to say that Gen Z don’t have the same ambition or standards as older generations), or whether the decay begins at management level, is not entirely clear. What is clear is that, at ironically the very moment when retail needs staff to be motivated, charming, and knowledgeable more than ever, too many shops are ‘saving’ money in the exact area that represents a false economy.

Disengaged, demotivated, and often rude staff will only speed up the exodus of customers, putting further strain on finances, leading to even greater cuts in staff investment and training. And so the doom loop continues, until that shop goes under and is put out of its misery.

Luckily, the watch industry from my experience is, not without exceptions, largely innocent of a lot of the crimes I listed above, especially at the luxury end of the market. They spend considerable amounts of time and resources on training and incentive schemes for this exact reason.

But all retailers should be mindful of missing the fundamentals. The human being walking into the store has to be the centre of attention, especially when the easy alternatives are shopping online or not shopping at all.

World class customer service and sales assistance is ideal, but, given that this isn’t always possible, the whole retail sector should at least focus on raising the floor of minimum standards. If this means having to look at a customer and talk to them and maybe even force a smile once in a while, so be it.