It might not be obvious, but every sale not only contributes to your revenue but to the customer experience. Customers remember more than the items they buy; they remember the feeling that comes with the purchase. That memory contributes to their emotional connection to your store or restaurant, shaping loyalty, sparking word of mouth, and bringing them back again (hopefully).

Despite the importance of making a sale memorable, creating those memories does not require extravagant gestures or costly marketing campaigns. The key actually lies in small, deliberate actions that deliver value and show you care about the customer.

Let’s take a closer look at how your business can build loyalty, strengthen service, and generate excitement that keeps your brand in your customers’ mind long after they leave your shop.

Build Loyalty Through Value and Personalisation

The key to building loyalty is making customers feel valued. They want to feel treated like an individual, a VIP, no matter who they are or what they’re buying. Conversely, they don’t want to feel like an annoyance or just a number.

That’s where loyalty or rewards programs come in, offering a simple way to show appreciation. Rewards themselves can be simple points that are used towards discounts, but you could also use them to track their purchases and deliver a reward related to they types of purchases they regularly make.

What’s more, loyalty and rewards programs can help your staff take a more personalised approach. By identifying your customers, your staff can address them by name, offer promotions tailored to their preferences, or offer perks that make even small purchases feel special.

This can have a transformative impact on the customer experience. Treating customers like this can develop a subtle, but potent, emotional connection. And memorable sales hinge on emotion. When customers walk away feeling seen and respected, they’re far more likely to return, recommend, and build a lasting connection with your brand.

Service and the Customer Journey

A memorable sale often comes down to the basics of providing great customer service. The way staff interact with customers shapes the entire experience. A friendly greeting at the door, eye contact, and a willingness to help when someone looks uncertain all set the tone to make the customer feel welcomed.

And when employees can anticipate customer needs and remove friction, shopping can feel effortless. It is about making sure customers never feel lost, rushed, or ignored. When the journey is well managed, the sale becomes easy, and that ease is what customers remember.

Surprise, Delight, and Buzz

Memorable sales often come from the unexpected. A small freebie, a sample, or even a piece of candy can spark goodwill and leave customers with a story to share. These gestures cost little but create lasting impressions.

Beyond the individual sale, brands can build excitement by tying offers to cultural or seasonal events. Promotions linked to a national day or local celebration draw attention and invite new customers to engage. For example, when local Japanese restaurants celebrated National Katsu Curry Day with discounts and giveaways, they attracted diners who might never have visited otherwise.

Creating buzz is about positioning your brand as part of the wider conversation. When customers see your business as lively, relevant, and generous, they are more likely to return and to spread the word. Surprise and delight turn routine transactions into memorable experiences that ripple outward.

Looking for more ways to build loyalty and memorable experiences with your customers? Everything EPOS has all the tools your business needs to wow them and keep them coming back. Contact our EPOS specialists to discuss how to leverage your till to drive loyalty and repeat business.