New year, new start. A phrase often used in the retail world, January is the perfect time to either action or plan for future changes to your storefront. The Christmas rush has long gone, and as a retail manager, you should be focusing on the next 12 months and devising a strategy for continued success.
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How to increase shop footfall
Upgrading your shopfront entrance is a proven means of increasing footfall, as research shows 52% of consumers will be drawn in by an inviting store exterior to see what’s on offer inside. On the other hand, 50% of shoppers are likely to walk past any retail outlet with a tatty shopfront, as it reflects badly on the standard of products on sale inside.
Retailers may think they should completely overhaul their premises to rejuvenate the business, but this isn’t the case. There are many ways you can make small and cost-effective changes to your storefront to give it a fresher feel.
Improving the store entrance
If your store exterior hasn’t had a facelift for years, this is a great place to start. One factor that can impact footfall is the standard of your shopfront doors, especially if you still have an old fashioned manual entrance.
Automatic doors are often used in commercial premises, as retail psychologists say they have a positive impact on customer reactions. With automatic doors, your store can instantly appear more welcoming and appealing.
A standard manual door can subconsciously appear less welcoming and may actually deter people from entering when it’s closed, whereas an automatic access makes it a lot easier for people to walk in, especially elderly and disabled customers, those with pushchairs, or people laden down with shopping.
The automatic doors’ sensors register people and objects such as shopping trolleys in the detection zone, resulting in an accurate signal that triggers the doors to open. Enhancing customer safety, there’s no danger of anyone being accidentally trapped in the doors.
A survey of 447 shoppers, Automatic Door Trends Through the Eyes of Consumers, found 80% of respondents agreed automatic doors were “important” in retail. The main reasons cited were their “convenience” and “ease of use”, as they opened without people having to use their hands, making them beneficial for disabled people and those pushing prams.
Almost half (48%) of respondents said they considered automatic doors added to the level of service they expected, enhancing the overall customer experience. Sliding doors in particular are a space-saving investment, making them more suitable in compact premises.
If there’s one new year’s resolution retailers should make, installing automatic doors is up there at the top of the list.
Implementing a new POS system
Once you’ve attracted more customers into your store, how do you keep them there? One thing shoppers hate is queueing.
While retailers and employees may not like change, implementing a new POS system can be a breath of fresh air. Shoppers are looking for speed and want to pay by every means possible, including contactless and mobile phone apps. From the retailers’ point of view, you should also be prioritising advanced payment options, plus a means of tracking data, such as including built-in sales and reporting insights.
An advanced POS system can enhance the customer experience with more efficient and faster transactions, while integrating inventory management into the retailers’ system to provide real-time stock updates.
Revamping display tables and shelves
One fairly simple way of upgrading your retail store is by revamping display tables and shelves. Whether you sell clothing, electronics, homewares or anything else, styles change, so just because a style of decor worked once, this doesn’t mean you can carry on with it indefinitely.
Replace worn-out, old tables with new better ways to showcase your products. One style that works well is a series of round tables at various heights that go down in steps to focus the attention on a particular range of items.
Optimising shop layout
Some retailers have inherited their counters from predecessors and haven’t bothered changing them, yet the layout of retail stores is crucial – it should be creative to improve customer flow.
If you have counters on both sides and the POS in the middle, this can encourage bottlenecks as shoppers are trying to enter, leave and pay all at the same point. Some retailers have changed the layout to have separate entrances and exits, encouraging customers to flow around in a particular direction.
With the emphasis being on making shopfloors accessible for wheelchair users and people with pushchairs, ensure your layout is suitable for everyone. Experts recommend the minimum aisle width should be four feet to avoid problems.
Redecorating
Redecorating the shop interior with a fresh coat of paint sounds simple, but it can make a big difference relatively cheaply. Use fresh and appealing colours to brighten up the store, reflect your brand and create a welcoming atmosphere.
A popular choice is using a neutral shade, such as light grey or cream, with flashes of brighter colours, such as oranges or blues, to boost the mood. Having the whole interior painted in a bright shade can appear garish and too much.
Using eco-friendly paint and wooden displays to emphasise sustainability is a modern trend that customers appreciate. Recent studies have found consumers are becoming more environmentally aware, with 88% saying they feel more loyal towards brands that support environmental and social causes.
Staff training
Investing in staff training and development is a surefire way of improving the overall customer experience. If employees are simply expected to learn “on the job”, you’re not maximising their potential.
The benefits of training an employee are tenfold. Not least, they will be more knowledgeable and better equipped to help customers enjoy their shopping experience.
Starting from scratch and training up new employees is always the best way forward, but don’t forget your existing team members. Provide them with ongoing training – you’ll be more likely to have engaged staff, who can pass on their knowledge to customers.
Improving your team’s product knowledge means they can do far more than simply tell a customer whether a product is in stock, or where it’s located in the store. They can advise on the product’s features and what it can do for the customer, or even suggest an alternative should the requested item be out of stock.