A recent article in The Wall Street Journal explained that the phrase “Welcome in” was becoming more prevalent and was driving shoppers nuts.

When I was running stores, I trained my teams to never use this phrase. We talked about it at length with new associates as part of their frontline employee development because, somehow, it was a default expression. They heard it when they were out shopping, so they felt comfortable using it.

But in my store—absolutely not.

Here’s why.

Don’t Lead a Conversation With a Confusing Phrase

The phrase “welcome in” is not natural. We don’t use it in everyday conversational English. When I have friends over to my house, I say, “Hi! Come in! It’s great to see you.” I would never say, “Welcome in.”

It’s also a bit confusing to the ear. When I first heard it catching on in retail stores, I wasn’t sure what they were saying. Most people say it quickly, like one word. “Welcomein!” What? Is that German? Are you saying “welcome in”? As in “hello”?

I wasn’t sure.

As a customer, I didn’t know how to respond. “Thanks?” “Hello?” “Okay?” I would just smile and walk in. The associate would then rush off to their next project. Seven seconds later, they’d pop up again and shout, “Welcome in!” to the next customer.

So, that’s the other thing. It’s something that associates can easily say that checks the box of “greet customers when they walk in,” but it closes the selling process from the start. This greeting is not a great retail management tip.

The Wall Street Journal article quotes Bob Phibbs, a retail consultant, who notes, “‘Welcome in’ has caught on in part because it doesn’t require a response and lets workers avoid the conversational work of selling.”

Ahhhh hah! This is the angle I was looking for.

See what I mean about checking boxes? It checks the “greeting” box but shuts down the selling process. The sales associates are then free to go back to the eight million tasks they have. This is what happens when companies prioritize tasks over a people-first leadership approach. Even the language begins to change.

Language is important.

Be a Human, Please

In my store, we taught our team to use natural greetings. Like a human. Like a friend. Greet someone like you know them. This is part of how to train retail leaders and a key element of effective leadership styles in retail.

• “Hey, what’s up?”
• “Hi! Good morning.”
• “Hi there.”
• “Hey, how’s it going?”

We were lucky; most of our customers wanted help. If you greeted them, they’d tell you what they were looking for. But “welcome in” crushes the synergy of connection, whether your customer knows what they’re looking for or not.

“Welcome in” is like mediocre coffee. You’re not going to complain; you’ll probably drink it, but you won’t go back for a second cup. This is an important lesson in real-world leadership strategies for boosting retail team motivation.

Language Matters

I don’t think “welcome in” is going away soon. It’s widely used. Even people new to retail say it because they’ve heard it somewhere, so they think it’s what you say. But you don’t have to give in. You don’t have to accept it. This is a core component of improving retail team performance. Don’t cave. 

I didn’t.

Language matters. It alters the way we think. I also would not let my cashiers say, “Could we have another ringer up front?” when they needed another cashier. It’s cashier, not ringer. A ringer is a t-shirt with a contrasting collar, not a person who sells you items at a cash wrap. This is a vital part of communication tips for retail leaders.

What you expect from your team is what they will deliver. This is why investing in your retail frontline is so crucial for reducing retail turnover.

Aim high. They’ll meet you there. This is how you build strong retail teams.