Client Success
Reimagining Retail—Transforming the In-Store Experience for a U.S. Cellular Provider
A leading U.S. cellular service provider was experiencing a troubling decline in in-store device sales and customer satisfaction, particularly when compared to key competitors. Despite significant investment in physical retail, customers perceived the experience as confusing, high-pressure, and lacking in value.
The goal: Uncover the real reasons behind declining performance and deliver actionable insights to reshape the in-store journey—enhancing both satisfaction and conversion.
Challenge
To capture customer perspectives in context, Segment designed a mobile retail immersion tour using airporter-style buses. Over the course of a full day, recruited customer groups visited a curated mix of wireless retail stores—including competitors and peer-format environments.
Between stops, we facilitated structured, on-the-move debrief sessions, recorded and moderated as mobile focus groups. This real-time methodology allowed participants to reflect on:
What felt intuitive or overwhelming
Trust and transparency in staff interactions
Emotional and cognitive impressions of each retail format
The itinerary intentionally mixed high-performing competitor stores with retail environments more similar to the client’s own—enabling us to isolate both pain points and best practices.
Approach
The result: Segment’s research uncovered consistent themes across groups:
Overwhelming choice and information overload
Limited hands-on trial opportunities for devices
Complex plan structures that introduced friction
A perception that staff were steering shoppers toward predetermined options, eroding trust
These insights sparked a nationwide retail transformation initiative, including:
Redesigned store layouts to promote autonomous exploration
Decoupled pricing structures that simplified decision-making
A new visual merchandising system to reduce cognitive load
The final insights were delivered in a video-based report—a powerful, visceral representation of the shopping experience that resonated company-wide. Featured at the client’s national leadership summit, the report catalyzed internal alignment and helped secure buy-in for change at scale.
The retail refresh was met with positive media coverage and became a turning point in the brand’s experience strategy—reestablishing trust with customers and setting a new benchmark for telecom retail.
Impact
Why our work matters
for Experience & CX Leaders
We capture real behavior in real-time to guide impactful transformation.
We translate emotional disconnect into design-ready, insight-rich retail journeys.
for Retail Strategy Executives
We bring the outside in—identifying friction, opportunities, and best practices through the customer’s eyes.
for Brand & Marketing Teams
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