Retail Dive’s 2015 benchmark study was just released, and it’s loaded with great info and actionable insights.

At SpendBoss, we think specifically about how back-office tools, processes and systems relate to growing top line revenue and reducing costs. To some, the connection can be “non-obvious” but to us, it’s clear. The more time your store managers spend focused on crafting great customer experiences the more your brand will win.

This benchmark study spoke to me as I thought about conversations we’ve had with customers and prospects. The link between the store manager and great retail customer experiences is real and here’s more data to prove it – this study featured some 20,000 customer responses focused on the top 100 retail brands.

Here are the top 5 insights from the study:

1. Putting Their Money Where Their Mouths Are: Recommendations matter, when customers recommend you, they tend to remain a customer

2. Following the Crowd: Keep the right products stocked!

3. Friendliness Doesn’t Matter, Except When it Does: While you can never be too friendly, but you will be punished for not being friendly enough, the bar has been raised.

4. Venus vs. Mars: Gender Matters.

5. Value Ain’t What It Used to Be: Lack of staff = losing strategy

The survey provides some great direction and information to consider as you think ahead to 2016. The bar has been raised – customers flat out expect more from you. How well you deliver at the store level is critical as the “last mile” experience brings together your entire story. All that marketing, advertising and brand building comes together in that single moment when a customer walks into your store.

Sadly, enforcing more “flair” or cheery smiles is not a winning strategy. If it were only that easy! A better strategy is to make sure that your retail store personnel, managers in particular are well trained and have access to great technology. Deploying easy-to-use technology with a consumer-like experience will help them manage back-office tasks so they can spend more time on the sales floor and stay focused on your customers already high and quickly rising expectations. The only way to succeed is to understand what your customers want and to develop new and exciting ways to delight them every time they cross that magical line into your stores.

SpendBoss provides technology solutions designed for store managers to easily and quickly manage indirect spend, work orders, asset management and store logistics. We believe retail store managers represent the tip of the spear in bringing a location to life, and that they deserve cutting edge, consumer like experiences to give them more time to focus on customers.