Accessibility in retail covers far more than the physical experience for shoppers with disabilities, and how retailers embrace it may define the future of retail itself.
Merchants must both meet the needs of differently-abled shoppers and broaden their efforts to make the shopping experience more accessible online and offline.
First, let’s establish a baseline of what accessibility means in retail. An accessible shopping experience involves everything from navigability of in-store layout to websites set up for vision-impaired users. Unfortunately, those who are differently-abled are an often overlooked segment in retail, both in terms of customers and employees. And this is significant, as more than 61 million, or 1 in 5, Americans in the U.S. live with a disability.
The pandemic has highlighted the importance of a safe shopping experience for everyone, and has caused many retailers to rethink the entire customer experience with an eye toward safety, health, and convenience. Retail expert and consumer champion Martin Newman says this is important, as fundamentally, customers should be empowered to shop wherever, whenever, and however they want, no matter their abilities. Newman notes that the pandemic has increased awareness among the retail sector about issues of accessibility, and as more stores reopen to full operations and capacity, this is an important moment to re-evaluate how accessible the shopping experience really is.
Embracing this expanded view of accessibility can set retailers up for long-term success, with an eye toward the following elements:
1. In-store experience
While physical infrastructure like ramps, lifts, and elevators are essential for accessible businesses, there are other, often-overlooked elements to provide a safe and navigable shopping experience. For the mobility-impaired, it’s important to evaluate key access points, including doorways (and the ease of operating those doors), pathways through the store, and the checkout area. Consider the height of displays and POS set-ups, as well as the availability of resources for the hearing or visually impaired. Ensure any in-store digital displays, such as information kiosks or self-checkout devices, meet basic accessibility requirements, too.
2. Online experience
While many modern computers and mobile devices have assistive technologies to help differently-abled shoppers, retailers still need to evaluate the accessibility of their online experience. This includes websites, apps, emails, landing pages, among others. For example, consider a blind user who is unable to learn about a product because the retailer’s website doesn’t have the proper alt-text on images, so their screen reader can’t describe it to them. This is just one example of the frustrations many disabled individuals face in navigating eCommerce sites and apps--and for many, this leaves them completely unable to shop from certain businesses. To learn more about developing accessible online experiences, review the Web Accessibility Initiative’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
3. Omnichannel and accessibility
Inherently, an omnichannel shopping experience seeks to enable greater accessibility for all shoppers. While all touchpoints, either physical or digital, should meet the basic parameters for accessibility, a robust omnichannel experience adds another layer of convenience. The ability to buy online and pick up items in stores (BOPIS), for example, enables people to get items sooner without needing to physically shop in-store. In-store mobile checkout can allow visually or hearing impaired individuals to more easily pay for their items. And so on. Developing an omnichannel experience with an eye toward greater accessibility and inclusivity has vast benefits for shoppers of any ability - and that is a trend worth embracing.
To learn more about how Afterpay can fit into an accessible shopping experience, reach out to our team today.
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