A few years ago, we looked closely at the purchase journey for flooring customers. People buying carpet, hardwood, or tile for their homes. Real consumers, real decisions.
One number stood out: 1.8.
That’s the average number of retail stores a customer visited during their purchase journey. Not two stores. Not three. Just under two. And what that single data point reveals about modern consumer buying behavior should change how every retail salesperson approaches the floor.
They’ve already done their homework
The first thing 1.8 tells you is that today’s flooring shopper is not browsing. They are not wandering from strip mall to strip mall hoping something catches their eye. By the time they walk into your store, they’ve spent time online. They’ve read reviews. They’ve narrowed their options. They’ve vetted you before you ever said hello.
The browsing era of retail is over. Research happens at home, at 10pm, on a phone. The store visit is no longer the beginning of the journey. For most customers, it’s close to the end.
Time is the scarcest resource your customer has
The second thing 1.8 tells you is that consumers are not interested in the old sport of price shopping. Going retailer to retailer, playing each one against the other to negotiate the best deal. That game requires time, and time is the one thing your customer doesn’t have enough of.
They have jobs. They have kids. They have a renovation already disrupting their home. The last thing they want is another errand.
When a salesperson understands this, it changes everything about how they engage. Efficiency becomes a form of respect. Moving a customer through the buying process with clarity and confidence signals that you value their time as much as your own. That’s not just good service, that’s a competitive advantage.
What this means for consultative selling in retail
The 1.8 finding is not just an interesting statistic. It’s a frame for how retail salespeople should think about every customer interaction.
Consumers are more informed than ever. They are more time-constrained than ever. And they are choosing which retailers get a shot at their business before they ever leave the house.
If they’re in your store, you have a real opportunity. The question is whether your sales team is equipped to recognize that and execute.
Because when you understand how modern consumers buy, and you sell accordingly, closing becomes less about persuasion and more about delivering an expert experience.
