Last week was a wake-up call that completely reshaped how I view customer experience in retail. Here’s what happened…
After 40 years of cycling, I had the worst crash of my life,
and I've had a few. As I picked myself up, I knew something wasn’t right. After two hospital visits and conflicting X-rays, I’m now temporarily confined to a wheelchair. But this post isn’t about me; it’s about what I’ve learned from this experience.
Navigating Retail from a Wheelchair is HARD
Suddenly, I saw things differently:
Shelves were out of reach.
I couldn’t buy the products I wanted.
The usual product placement strategies didn’t apply.
Simple tasks became frustrating challenges.
I’m honestly embarrassed to admit how little I’d considered accessibility in store design during my previous roles. It was a humbling realisation.
Have Retail Executives Walked a Mile in These Shoes?
How many retail executives have toured their stores from this perspective? If they haven’t, I highly recommend it. It’s an eye-opening experience that will reshape how you think about customer experience. I’ve always known that being accessible to as large an audience as possible is key. That’s why I made sure spiritssourcery.com is available in multiple languages, allowing us to better connect with a global customer base. But this recent experience has pushed me to think even more deeply about accessibility, especially in physical spaces.
Looking Ahead: Accessibility First
Moving forward, I’m choosing to use this as a positive learning opportunity. In future retail and customer experience consulting projects, accessibility will be front and centre. It’s clear to me now that every customer journey, whether online or in-store, should be as smooth and inclusive as possible. If you're in retail, drinks, or any other sector, and want to create a more inclusive, user-friendly experience for all your customers, I’d love to help. Reach out to Spirits Sourcery, and let’s transform your business.
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