Retail Expert Michael Lemner Visits Sweden – Urges Physical Retail to Focus more on Non-Converting Customers

Retail veteran Michael Lemner is currently visiting Sweden. After 35 years abroad in senior roles across companies like H&M, New Look, Bally, Polarn & Pyret, Jules, Pimkie, and LolaLiza – both operationally and at the board level – he has closely followed the evolution of retail, in Sweden and globally.

When meeting BizLab’s senior advisor Christian Bönnelyche, Michael is clear in his message:

“Physical retail must start focusing more on the customers who don’t convert – and explore how to influence them better. With shrinking margins and shifting consumer behavior, retailers need more data about all customers in-store. In Europe, we often talk about the customer with the behavior ‘look, look, look – don’t buy.’ But now, new technology makes it possible to collect more data on non-buyers and to influence them more effectively. This is no longer a cost issue – it’s about the mindset toward the entire in-store sales process,” says Michael Lemner.

“We know that 50–90% of store visitors don’t convert, depending on location and category. With the right technology, you can analyze store traffic in real-time – gender, age, time of day, weather, and even how long each customer stays. A few percentage points increase in conversion can mean the difference between profit and bankruptcy,” Lemner adds.

Understanding the age distribution of store visitors can also help tailor both campaigns and product selection. A case from a well-known denim chain showed that some stores had a very different age profile – and when assortments were adjusted accordingly, sales increased.

“Today, there are solutions – like BizLab Flow – that allow retailers to collect GDPR-compliant data on all visitors, without identifying individuals, and directly connect campaign exposure to actual sales. The same technology can display the right message to the right audience – where it’s most effective,” Christian Bönnelyche explains.

“The store is no longer just a sales channel. It’s also a measurable media platform, where every screen becomes a targeted advertising tool,” he continues.

A new forecast from eMarketer shows that although in-store retail media still represents a relatively small portion of total media budgets, it is expected to account for 55.9% of growth within digital out-of-home (DOOH) through 2027.

“I’ve always been obsessed with numbers and data – which I believe is the key to success in retail, second only to the product itself. Thanks to technology, collecting data is now quick and simple, meaning most of the effort can go into analysis and action. Retailers need to shift more focus here,” concludes Michael Lemner, enjoying a sunny stay in Ekudden, Djursholm, where he grew up and founded what is now FC Djursholm. But that’s another story.