For years, retailers have competed on price, product and convenience – but our latest survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers (age 21+) shows the real battleground for customer loyalty has shifted. Today, shoppers aren’t judging stores by products alone; they’re judging the experience the moment they walk through the doors. From first impressions to lasting loyalty, the physical condition of a store – its cleanliness, comfort and upkeep – has become one of the strongest drivers of whether customers stay, return, recommend or even travel farther to shop.
The Power of First Impressions
When shoppers step into a store, their first impression isn’t shaped by products or displays – it’s shaped by the environment itself. In fact, 39% of consumers notice cleanliness first, far outpacing layout (19%) or temperature and air quality (10%), with lighting, scents and displays trailing even further behind. This makes one truth undeniable: a spotless, well-maintained environment is no longer optional. It’s the baseline for trust.
In-store conditions aren’t background details – they are central to the retail experience, and the story a brand tells its customers from the very first moment.
Poor Conditions Push Shoppers Away
Poor conditions don’t just interrupt a single transaction. They erode the sense of connection between customers and brands. And once that trust is lost, it’s difficult to earn back. Nearly 4 out of 5 consumers (78%) have walked out of a store due to environmental issues. The top offenders?
- Cleanliness concerns (54%)
- Foul odors (42%)
- Visible damage like leaks or cracked walls (32%)
Better Environments Win Loyalty and Miles
One of the most striking insights from the survey is how far consumers are willing to go for a better environment. For many, a clean, comfortable store is worth traveling past a closer competitor.
That willingness signals that physical conditions are a driver of differentiation.
- 85% will bypass a closer grocery store if they know another location is better maintained.
- Even in convenience stores, where proximity is the usual draw, 64% would travel farther for a cleaner option.
And the impact on loyalty is undeniable: 86% of shoppers say upkeep directly influences their brand loyalty, with nearly half citing it as a significant factor.
What Consumers Want from Retail Formats
The survey also points to how consumers want retail spaces to evolve. They’re drawn to environments that feel lively, immersive and worth the trip: lifestyle centers, well-curated malls and store-in-store concepts that add variety and convenience.
At the same time, the desire for stability is evident. Shoppers are less enthusiastic about temporary pop-ups, preferring consistency and trust in the spaces where they shop.
The survey findings point to a clear direction for the future of brick-and-mortar retail: consumers want shopping experiences that feel intentional, engaging and worth leaving home for. When asked which store format shoppers wanted to see more of, respondents indicated lifestyle centers (71%) and traditional malls (70%) as highly appealing – but only when they evolve to offer more than just stores. Shoppers are looking for vibrant destinations that combine retail with unique dining, local businesses and social spaces that foster community.
59% of surveyed shoppers touted store-in-store formats as effective traffic drivers, signaling the value of partnerships that expand choice under one roof. By contrast, pop-ups are losing favor, with more than half of shoppers saying they’d prefer fewer. This highlights a desire for stability and consistency in retail, where trust and familiarity matter more than fleeting novelty.
Taken together, these preferences suggest the next era of retail will be defined not just by products, but by place. The stores and centers that thrive will be those that reimagine themselves as destinations – spaces that deliver connection, variety and an experience worth the trip.
Hybrid Shopping Is Now Table Stakes
The line between physical and digital shopping has all but disappeared – and consumers expect retailers to keep up. According to the survey, 61% of shoppers say seamless omnichannel flexibility is important or very important when choosing where to shop, while only 9% say it doesn’t matter – making hybrid a baseline expectation for the modern shopper.
When asked how important hybrid shopping is to their experience:
- 31% said it’s very important – they actively seek out retailers with flexible online and in-store options
- 25% called it “nice to have” – they may not use it often but value the option
- Only 6% said they avoid mixing channels altogether, preferring to shop fully online or fully in-store
In short, hybrid shopping is no longer an add-on – it’s the standard. Customers expect to move effortlessly between channels: browsing online, picking up in-store or purchasing in person after researching digitally. For retailers, this means the digital and physical must work together as a single, frictionless journey. Those who deliver on this expectation strengthen loyalty and relevance. Those who don’t risk being left behind.
Rethinking Retail for the Next Era
The results of this survey make one thing clear: the future of retail will be defined as much by environment and experience as by product and price. First impressions matter – from cleanliness to comfort, the condition of a store can determine whether a customer stays loyal or walks away. Shoppers are also signaling what kinds of spaces they want retailers to invest in: destinations like lifestyle centers, curated malls and store-in-store concepts that make the trip worthwhile. And underpinning it all is the expectation that online and offline will work seamlessly together, creating one unified, frictionless shopping journey.
For retailers, these shifts represent both a challenge and an opportunity. Meeting them requires more than short-term fixes – it calls for rethinking how stores are maintained, designed and digitally connected to the wider customer journey. At Accruent, we help retailers do just that. Our solutions give brands the tools to keep environments safe, clean and welcoming; to optimize spaces for evolving consumer needs; to connect the dots between physical and digital; and to simplify market planning and site selection with smart analytics that identify the right locations and accelerate revenue growth. Because when it comes to retail, the store environment isn’t just part of the experience. It is the experience.
Want to learn more? Discover how Accruent helps retailers revolutionize operations.
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