You may sell products that customers always purchase, irrespective of the time of year, and they may do so in your retail store and via your website. But, do you find that retail sales aren’t that great compared to your online store?
If the answer is yes, and assuming you have a retail store in an area or on a street with plenty of foot traffic each day, the problem will lie with your retail store’s presentation to the general public. In short – it’s not eye-catching enough to tempt in passing trade.
Don’t worry because the following seven ideas and tips will help you make your retail premises more successful and inviting to people walking on the street:
1. Maintain Your Shop Front
You need to keep in mind that people are unlikely to step foot inside your store if its outside appearance isn’t inviting. For example, if your windows, doors, and door frames are dirty, they may not even notice what you sell inside.
Moreover, the appearance of things like flaking paint or boarded-up broken windows will put off potential customers from entering. That’s why you must work at maintaining your shopfront at all times.
Ensure your windows and doors are clean daily and have the floor outside your entrance professionally cleaned regularly.
2. Have Some Stunning Seasonal Window Displays
Another thing to do is think about creating seasonal displays in your storefront windows. If it’s coming up to summer, promote products that conjure up feelings of sunshine, vacations, and relaxation.
Be sure to use stunning visuals, such as cast glass ornaments and sand for a summer scene, to evoke specific emotions in people and make them interested in finding out what you’re trying to promote to them.
All retail stores that put the effort into creating thought-provoking and stunning seasonal displays will notice an increased turnover of “walk-ins.”
3. Consider Current Events Or Pop Culture
Of course, you don’t have to just stick with the four seasons of the year as your inspiration for window displays. It makes sense to capitalize on things like current events and pop culture to promote the products you sell in-store.
For example, if there’s a major golf tournament in your town soon, you could promote golfing or products related and associated with golf in your window displays.
If you run a grocery store, for instance, and everyone’s talking about a Hollywood blockbuster, you could create a movie-themed promotion in your store and create a cinematic theme for your window displays!
4. Make Your Signage Eye-Catching
Does the outside of your retail store look somewhat bland and anonymous? If so, it’s no wonder that some foot traffic literally walks right past your doors!
You need to make your signage as eye-catching as possible. Your permanent storefront sign above the windows should be easy to read and visible from a distance. Ensure you’ve got adequate lighting for your sign as well, so people can see it during the evening.
Also, make temporary signs such as those on A-boards and window displays bright, bold, and beautiful!
5. Invite VIP Guests To Attend
An interesting yet highly effective method of driving more people into a retail store is by having a VIP there for the there and marketing the event.
For example, if you run a bookstore, you could arrange for a famous writer to spend the day signing copies of their latest novels.
Remember to offer customers freebies, such as goodie bags or even a glass of champagne, if you run an establishment like an art gallery.
Customers attending such events will remember your store, and if you’ve made a lasting impression on them, they will return in the future.
6. Spread Out Your Stock
One thing that can put off some people from entering a retail establishment like yours is when they can crammed-in stock through your storefront windows.
The shopping experience for customers should be pleasant, and with that in mind, you must spread out your stock to make your store easy to navigate and find things. Spreading out your stock will also make your store feel more exclusive to customers.
7. Make Your Store Shine Bright
Last but not least, invest some time and capital into upgrading the lighting of your retail store – both inside and out. Consumers seldom want to spend time in a dark store, and store owners will miss many sales opportunities because of that fact.
LED lighting is a popular upgrade for retail stores as it offers store owners a way of illuminating their brands and products without spending a fortune on lighting costs.