Minimizing fuss, helping customers keep their holiday traditions alive and righting any problems that come up will be key goals this year.

The key to a successful holiday season last year was whether retailers could support the customer’s objectives, not make themselves stand out. This year, that strategy is all the more important for financially constrained consumers.

“There are some years where consumers are more open to other objectives or rethinking their own objectives, but this year I think they're going to be very narrowly focused,” Nikki Baird, vice president of strategy and product at Aptos, told sister publication CX Dive.

The goal is to help stressed customers find what they need with minimal fuss. Retailers need to support customers’ quest to keep holiday traditions alive and offer managers and associates the support they need. And when problems do arrive, they need to act quickly to fix the experience.

The stakes are high, with consumers expected to spend $1 trillion with retailers in-store and online this year, according to the National Retail Federation. The right store experience can play an irreplaceable role in making this holiday season a success.

Marketing will get customers in the door, but the experience is what determines whether they come back again, according to customer experience expert and author Shep Hyken. Retailers need to make whatever investments are necessary for smooth operations during the busiest season.

It comes down to one question, Hyken said.

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