Retailers have had to learn to cherish good news in recent years, so thin on the ground has it been. It remains difficult to find things to cheer about. Retail sales growth so far this year has been modest and below expectations, while latest figures show the overall economy shrunk by 0.3% in the first quarter of 2025.

But one reason for US vendors – or more specifically, bricks-and-mortar retailers – to be hopeful is the fact that footfall in stores is showing positive signs. Sectors such as grocery, fashion and electronics all saw double-digit growth in store visits in the year to March 2025, with home improvement stores seeing a staggering 28.41% leap.

This is backed up by the findings of Bread Financial’s annual consumer survey, which found that 34% of American shoppers made more trips to stores in the past 12 months, while 43% prefer to shop only or mostly in stores.

The reasons suggested for why more Americans are hitting the mall again range from more people returning to the office, putting more people in urban areas close to stores again, to the idea that consumer spending may be seeing a temporary spike before the president’s tariffs start to push up prices.

Whatever the causes, getting more customers through the doors is great news for a sector that has been battered from all sides in the past five years. But the caveat for that is, browsers have to turn into buyers if higher footfall is going to have a positive impact on the bottom line.

So how can retailers cash in and make sure more bodies converts into more sales?

Get your store layout and product placement right

Every retailer understands the importance of merchandising in driving sales, especially making special offers and promotions as prominent as possible. But it isn’t just about where and how you display products. The layout of your whole store makes a difference, including how it encourages customers to move around it.

Start by creating an inviting entry zone – sometimes referred to as a ‘decompression zone’ – to set the tone and make customers feel at ease and excited for the rest of their visit. Collect data on shopper flow throughout the store. Use this not only to tackle obvious bottlenecks, but to strategically place high-value items and strong ‘spontaneous purchase’ candidates at the busiest junctures. Customers will go looking for your best sellers. Use strategic placement to help customers discover what they didn’t even know they needed.

Make the most of smart technology

Once you have got your layout just right, tools like interactive kiosks, self-checkout systems and mobile POS help to streamline the shopping experience even further, specifically by making it more convenient and faster for customers to either find information or complete a purchase. Kiosks, for example, need not be purely a checkout solution. Having interactive screens around the store empowers customers to find answers to queries themselves, without having to wait on a store clerk to help them. Similarly, equipping staff with mobile POS tablets empowers them to look up information in the moment, providing a more efficient level of service, and even complete transactions around the store, helping to reduce queues at checkout.

Personalize to lock in loyalty

We all know the value of repeat business in retail. Retailers should aim not just to get as many people who come through their doors as possible to make a purchase, but to keep coming back again and again as loyal customers.

Personalizing the shopping experience is a powerful way to turn casual visitors into loyal buyers by making them feel recognized and valued. This is another important role that smart technology can play. Through a combination of self-service touchpoints, digital screens, behavioural tracking systems and AI, stores can turn customer data into responsive service, personalized recommendations and targeted promotions.

On top of this, loyalty programs that reward frequent visits can deepen the emotional connection to the brand. This sense of personal attention builds trust and satisfaction, increasing the chance that customers will return and spend more over time.