Let’s face it – the internet has made it easy for us to shop from the comforts of our homes. The world has become a global village, and shopping has become an online experience – at least most of it.
What does this mean? Well, the death of retail stores. The time has come – either spruce up your marketing tactics or bite the dust.
And there is, in fact, a silver lining. Although retail stores are dying, they aren’t exactly dead. This means there is still some scope of a comeback if you’re a retail store owner.
You will be surprised to know that many people still prefer to shop from the local nearby stores rather than shopping online. And the reason is straightforward. Let us understand it from a basic example.
Let’s say you’re an average joe and you need a new toothbrush. You have got two options – order it online and wait till eternity, or simply walk into your nearby retail store, choose from an array of toothbrush options and walk out with a toothbrush in hand – instantly.
The point is, though online shopping has made it easy to make the buying decision, they still can’t offer instant solutions, but your retail store can.
All you need to do is take important steps and market your offline store so that people will be inclined to visit your store often.
Confused about how to do that? The below tips will help!
Understand Who The Buyers Are
They say, “if you chase everyone, you get no one,” and we couldn’t agree more.
If you don’t know the kind of people interested in visiting your store, how will you tap their interests? No, just because your store has general daily use items doesn’t make everyone your ideal visitors. Below are a few factors you need to consider:
- Most important Needs of your customers
- The Average Age
- Average salary and disposable income
Beautify Your StoreFront
Your storefront’s design and decor give the initial indication of the passing by shoppers of its offerings. For example, if it has big funny banners of how easy and convenient it is to shop from your storefront, people would be intrigued to come inside and have a look. At the very least, it will grab the attention of most of the passers, which will do a good job of high footfall in your store.
You also need to map the journey of the customer. Meaning, you need to understand how a person is expected to navigate inside your store, then add necessary elements to make their navigation inside your store easy and convenient.
For example, if you own a grocery store, you can position grocery signage at important junctions inside your store. This will help the customers better understand where a particular item is. It will save their time and make things easier – this may motivate them to visit your storefront again.
Work On The Important Aspects
Let us ask you this – what makes people inclined to shop online? Comfort.
Similarly, what comfort and feel-good aspects can your store provide to the visitors? Imagine this – how about a fresh cool breeze of air welcomes a visitor on a hot sunny day? That is an instant pleasure any person would feel. You can do this by installing an AC or a cooler at the right angle at the entrance.
Next, you can work on the lighting. This is one aspect that visually appeals to people. Correct lighting on the aisles and on the items can impress the people and also help them navigate inside the store better. Not to forget the aesthetic charm it will provide.
Similarly, you need to ensure that your store doesn’t look stuffed or full. Have enough room to accommodate people and keep the items organized. You can assign your staff to ensure they organize the items in the right place after a customer has checked them out.
Lastly, work on the store’s inside temperature. As we discussed above, it’s not only the entrance that should be welcoming. Make sure that the store’s Air Conditioning is working perfectly. Have backup generators ready in case of power outages.
Final Word
With the right steps and application of concepts, you can ensure a high footfall in your retail store. We hope these tips will help.
