OMG: CMH > ORD > YYZ > CVG > LGA > BWI > CMH = WTH!

Like many of us in the retail industry, I travel a lot. Short trips and long hauls, near and far, all over the world. Just last week, I experienced five cities in five days, crisscrossing North America in a whirlwind of meetings, pitches, dinners, hotels, planes, trains and automobiles … and a water taxi, for good measure.

Big deal, right? We all have our road-warrior stories. What’s new about that?

What’s new is in that flurry of travel, with every opportunity for disappointment and letdown at each touchpoint, I realized that I’m better equipped to handle whatever comes my way. And it’s all due to my handy-dandy smartphone. What’s on my iPhone that performs this miracle? (Well, beyond Mozart’s Requiem, which makes everything better…)

The answer is apps. Apps from brands that I used to neither care about or like, nor even think about. There’s an entire ecosystem (buzzword alert!) of apps that has allowed me, as a consumer, the freedom to discover, explore, select, make decisions and to enjoy the travel experience. And these app experiences can be informative to their retail cousins, if we look closely at exactly what they’re delivering. What can service-based technology apps really teach bricks-and-mortar retailers? Let’s boil it down to three simple points.

Give me choices (but don’t overwhelm me)
Selection and variety are the traditional hallmarks of any good retailer. But more and more, curation is the real goal. Consumers are hungry for edited choices that speak directly to their lifestyle, through the filters they care about. Several travel brands have found the right balance of choice and personalization. An example:

Already on the road, I needed to make an unexpected detour to New York City for a quick meeting. That used to mean an overpriced tiny room in a mediocre hotel, but no longer. The app Hotel Tonight gives me the right mix of selections, sorted by neighborhoods and price-point, with just enough info to make me feel empowered to stay where I want. Win.

Other travel and service apps like OpenTable and AirBnB give me similar ways to navigate a buffet of choices with the ability to narrow down choices based on my needs.

Deliver convenience on my terms (when and where I want it)
Retail convenience has always been about being in a location where your customers can easily find you. But how about a more proactive approach? Can stores meet shoppers halfway, before they walk over the lease line? And can a brand turn a chore into pleasant, easy task? A good example from the road:

Walking through the airport in Baltimore after my scheduled arrival, I received a text alert from Hertz confirming my rental car and its location in the garage, as well as reminding me that I could choose from any of the “Gold Choice” rentals. I waltzed through the rental car maze, noticed a kicky Hyundai Elantra, and zoomed out in record time.

Today’s consumers have grown accustomed (and even expect) to be in a digital dialogue with brands they’ve chosen to opt into. Don’t be a stalker, be a guide.

Delight and surprise me (and I’ll become your champion)
The physical store maintains an “ace in the hole,” so to speak, when it comes to providing a genuinely surprising experience. Online can’t utilize the same arsenal of techniques to give shoppers something truly unique. But sometimes, an app experience really takes it to the next level:

Within one 24-hour period, I used Uber in three different cities, and had three different experiences that all resulted in total surprise. One driver went out of his way to find me in a difficult location. Another got me to LaGuardia in record time when my meeting ran late. And the third? He gave me a bottle of water. Simple as that.

Surprise doesn’t have to come with a massive price tag. Other travel apps (Delta and Hyatt, for example) provide small moments to upgrade my experience. Show your customer that you recognize them, that you care about them, and you know how to make their lives easier.

Next time you’re on the road, stop and think about the ease that all those travel and service apps on your phone have afforded you, and how we truly depend on (and love) those that deliver their promise over and over again. Wouldn’t it be awesome if retailers inspired the same loyalty?

Jay Highland is chief creative officer at Chute Gerdeman, a retail design agency located in Columbus, Ohio. With a combination of retail expertise, strategy and design process from initial concept creation to store implementation, Jay instinctively understands how to build relationships between brands and consumers. His work has been honored with industry design awards, has been featured in several leading publications and he is a regular speaker at industry events.