An eye-catching window display, standout customer care, and well thought out merchandising are still staples of the retail experience, some florists say, and set their small businesses apart from online retailers and big box stores.

Those back-to-the-basic methods are driving sales, increasing foot traffic, and harnessing the shop local movement this holiday season as consumers eagerly return to in-person shopping, several florists say.

A recent American Express Shop Small Impact Study found 80 percent of consumers say they are likely to shop small this holiday season with 75 percent of consumers surveyed agreeing that shopping in-person at a small business brings them joy and drives excitement for the holidays.

As Exotic Flowers in Boston approaches its 92nd year in business, owner Rick Canale knows that a powerful in-person shopping experience has been essential for his store’s decades of success.

This year Canale invested “a few thousand” dollars in décor to upgrade the in-store experience. He wanted his holiday window displays to stun, and his customers to be in awe, when they walk inside. Elevating the physical experience of shopping matters, Canale says.

“It was just the right thing to do,” he says. “So many stores closed and there are so few left I think we have a community responsibility to give back.”

Providing the right customer experience is at the heart of the recent changes at Bakanas Flowers & Gifts in Marlton, New Jersey. For years the store held an open house for holiday shopping. This year co-owner Anna Marie Bakanas took a different approach. With stores open and many shoppers looking to peruse gifts and decorations in person, Bakanas decided to participate in Small Business Saturday. Her store was decorated in a color-blocking theme with spaced out displays to allow customers to easily take in the many décor options.

She also made sure to provide exemplary customer service. As supply chain issues bring new customers into her store looking for items the big box stores don’t have in stock, she and her staff are able to step in and help, she says.

“We’ve built our business on our customer service,” she says. “We will attempt to get what they are looking for or offer options of what they can use instead. We try to have customers work with us and we’re really good at what we do.”

Customer service that retains previous clients is a fundamental business practice for Georgianne Vinicombe, of Monday Morning Flower and Balloon Co. in Princeton, New Jersey. In her 30 years in business, Vinicombe has realized that customer service can mean staying in touch with customers to offer reminders of their services.

“We do reminder calls every single week,” she says. “Birthdays, anniversaries, holiday centerpieces. When we are making calls there are orders just constantly printing out. You have to stay in touch with customers in any way that you can to remind them who you are and that you’re still there.”

Even as the businesses differ significantly — walk-in business accounts for 10 percent of sales at Monday Morning and a third of sales at Exotic Flowers — both owners say their secret to success is knowing their customers and how to meet their expectations.

For Canale meeting expectations means ensuring walk-in customers leave spending more.

“We don’t cater for people who buy for themselves,” he says. “We cater for those who buy for others. It’s always love and romance first.”

Sarah Sampson is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists