Retailers must continually look for ways to create engaging experiences for their customers. Sports stores are no exception. After all, when shopping for athletic gear, your customer probably has a specific interest and knows what they want. Here you will find essential tips that will help your business stay competitive by offering positive shopping experiences.
Train Your Staff
Your employees are the first point of contact when a customer enters your store. In contrast to shopping for casual clothing or everyday retail items, sports gear and workout equipment have specific criteria. Customers often come with questions and need help. A customer may need to find out what running shoes will provide maximum arch support or what soccer cleats to purchase for their child. The staff should be able to answer shoppers’ questions thoughtfully and informatively and recommend products based on their needs.
Use a Point of Sale System
When you have an excellent operating system, you can easily keep track of inventory and sales. Having an outdoor store pos system allows you to see a live list of your products and manage price points by analyzing data. It is an excellent way to empower your employees with direct knowledge of what is in stock. All your information will be under one system to streamline your operations, increasing your revenue exponentially.
Take Advantage of Digital Media
Every business should have a great website and a solid social media presence. For a sporting goods retailer like you, these are great ways to reach out to new customers and engage with old ones. With so many people relying on chain stores today, digital media will remind people that you are a viable option. Promoting sales events, discounts, and new arrivals on your social media page is a great way to engage customers. Additionally, you can show testimonials, provide product reviews, and give overviews of products on your website.
Consider Second Hand Goods
Selling second-hand goods is a great way to avoid today’s inventory and supply chain issues. Some shoppers are more willing to buy gently used equipment and gear other than new expensive products. In particular, this holds for costly items like exercise equipment, skis, ski boots, and bicycles. Furthermore, people are always looking for ways to reduce clutter and make extra money. It is an intelligent way to promote sustainability and hack the supply chain.
Offer Complimentary Items
More than most, consumers in the outdoor industry must invest not only in their hobby or passion but also in related gear. For instance, a kayak enthusiast will need the boat, a paddle, a life jacket and a helmet. Your outdoor brand can leverage and build on its reputation by offering a low-cost product for free with a significant purchase. Your customer will likely tell others about their positive experience, thus driving more sales for your company.
Nurture Repeat Business
Creating a loyalty program is one of the classic ways to encourage repeat business. Keeping a simple system works best. To reward customers, gather their information, provide them with a unique account number or card, and begin rewarding them with perks and discounts when they spend a certain amount. Loyalty programs not only encourage repeat purchases, but they tend to generate more significant average transactions.
Provide a Great Customer Experience
Be sure to develop a compelling reason to persuade people to visit your store instead of shopping on their phones, computer, or tablet from the comfort of their homes. You can achieve this by creating an organized, easy-to-navigate store. You can create displays that are attractive and well-coordinated. You can also provide a fast and reliable checkout process for your customers, so they can conveniently complete their purchases.
Outdoor stores have a unique opportunity to engage with their shoppers. You can capitalize on your in-store foot traffic and drive sales with a positive sales approach. Using these tips will be a great way to start seeing an increase in your overall sales.