What Would You Do If You Wanted to Grow Physical Store Sales in 2026? – with Melissa Moore (episode 581)
Melissa Moore is “The Retail Advisor”, and the host of The Retail Tea Break Podcast. She’s an expert in all things retail with over 25 years working with national brands, and she’s been a Rethink Retail Top Retail Expert for the last 3 years AND Named in Retail Technology Innovation Hub’s Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List for 2025.
In this WWYD episode, Melissa shares practical, real-world strategies for increasing physical store sales in 2026, drawing on her experience working with retailers and her recent takeaways from NRF in New York. From turning stores into destinations to building stronger human connections in-store, this conversation is packed with actionable insights for brands selling offline.
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Dive in:
[03:16] “Journey Through Retail Careers”
[07:53] “Humanizing Retail Through Data”
[12:10] “Stores as Content Studios”
[15:53] “Redefining Retail Store Roles”
[18:25] “Community-Centric Retail Trends”
[19:46] Listen to Melissa’s Top Tips!
Turn stores into destinations
Physical stores need to be more than places where transactions happen. Melissa explains why retailers must create reasons for customers to visit, from events and product launches to workshops, demos, or community moments. If customers can buy online in seconds, stores need to offer something they can’t get from a screen.
Use data to feel more human
Retail has more customer data than ever — but Melissa argues it should be used to build personal, human connections, not cold, corporate experiences. By recognizing loyal customers and personalizing interactions, retailers can recreate the “old-school” feeling of being known and valued.
Invest in training — and teach teams how to sell
Great stores are powered by confident, well-trained people. Melissa highlights the importance of ongoing training, focusing on:
- Communication skills
- Empathy-led selling
- Product knowledge and storytelling
Training isn’t one-and-done — it’s an ongoing commitment that directly impacts customer experience and sales.
Make every store a content studio
Melissa makes the case for empowering store teams to create content, from behind-the-scenes moments to product launches and social videos. When staff are trusted to represent the brand, it strengthens emotional connection, boosts engagement, and bridges the gap between physical retail and digital channels.
Remove friction from the in-store experience
From long queues to complicated returns, friction kills conversions. Melissa shares why physical retail needs to feel as easy as online shopping, using technology to streamline payments, navigation, and service without losing the human touch. In 2026, shopping in-store should be seamless.
Give every store a clear job
Not every store needs to do everything. Melissa encourages retailers to define the role of each location, whether that’s:
- Experience and brand-building
- Fulfillment
- Community or events
- Repairs or circular services
When stores have a clear purpose, customers understand the value — and teams know exactly how to deliver it.
NRF 2026: Key Takeaways from New York
Melissa also shares her biggest insights from NRF 2026, including:
- The continued dominance of AI — particularly agentic AI
- Why many AI conversations still feel repetitive year over year
- The growing focus on community, loyalty, and long-term customer relationships
- Her biggest takeaway? Retail is moving back toward human, community-first fundamentals — supported by technology, not replaced by it.
eCommerce Book Top Tip
- AI for Retail Success: Your Guidebook to Driving Sales, Enhancing Customer Loyalty & Optimizing Your Store by Sharon Gee and Linda Johansen-James
- The Material Life: Process Innovation and Product Creation for Retailers and Brands by Liza Amlani
eCommerce Traffic Top Tip
- Show up in person. Prioritize face-to-face presence because those human interactions drive lasting relationships that ultimately translate into in-store traffic and sales.
Tool Top Tip
- Prioritize sleep as a productivity tool. Melissa sees proper rest as the foundation for clear thinking, energy, and effectiveness, especially in a fast-paced, overwhelming industry where burnout is common.
Carbon Top Tip
- Reduce packaging, not experience. Use smaller, unbranded, or reused boxes because customers care more about what’s inside than flashy outer packaging, and less waste is both smarter for the planet and appreciated by shoppers.
Interview links
Related Episodes
- WWYD? Ian Leslie on Achieving Hockey Stick Growth in a $10–25M eCommerce Brand (episode 561)
- What Would You Do if growth at your eCommerce brand has stalled? – with Janis Thomas (episode 566)
- What Would You Do as Head of eCommerce tasked with massively improving operational efficiency? – with Jaime Hill (episode 570)
- What Would You Do to Tackle the Opportunity that is AI Chat and GEO? – with Miracle Inameti-Archibong (episode 578)
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