Browsing vs. Buying in Retail: why do consumers leave without buying?

We've all seen it, we've all done it...entered a retail location, browsed a bit and then headed straight for the exit without purchasing - why?

For a brick & mortar retailer, this could be the biggest question facing them with so much on the line. Fixed costs after fixed costs add up - rent, staff, insurance, utilities, etc., the list goes on and on - a business cannot afford a storefront where consumers enter and leave without purchasing.

This behavior goes on day after day, so what is a retailer to do? The answer lies in the need to understand what consumers are experiencing within the four walls.

If understanding is the answer, the question is how?
Surveys right? To capture a consumers' experience with current platforms, they must make a purchase and become a customer to receive a survey.
No, then loyalty apps, right? Well, these require the consumer to own a smartphone, have the app installed and then analyze information from the app - if the consumer used it.

Challenge 1, traditional survey methodologies require a transaction (a purchase).
Challenge 2, smartphone apps, incentivized for discounts and rewards, requires the consumer to sign-up and expose their personal identity - not vogue in a society fraught with one data breach after another. 

Fortunately, there is an alternative that addresses the opportunity while avoiding the pitfalls. With Tapyness, consumers can simply tap a kiosk and leave feedback in a frictionless fashion - without ever making a purchase.

Know today what you didn't know yesterday. Show consumers you care, enable them to provide feedback as they browse or buy.

Ask, listen, learn, improve, repeat.