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4 Ways to Increase Retail Footfall

4 Ways to Increase Retail Footfall

4 Ways to Increase Retail Footfall

1. Open for business and looking enticing

First impressions do last and as a retailer creating an ambiance that draws custom in through your door is liquid gold. So, it is vital that you make your premises as attractive as possible with the first port of call being your shop window.

Make a feature of the window space or any outdoor signage that you might have promoting a latest offer or new product in-store. The key is to refresh often, keeping customers reengaged, this will hopefully sway them indoors or urge an impulse buy.

Keep your display simple, easy to view and theme focused and seasonal. Make plans on how you intend to alter your window month-by-month so you don’t miss out on core events and celebrations, allowing leeway for when new trends and fashions could work nicely with your product or service offering.

However, be prompt on removing any seasonal display, there’s nothing less appealing than seeing Christmas ideas sat in the window in February, even if they were in the sale!

Just something to keep in mind, one interesting fact shows that leaving the front door of your shop open can help to make you seem more approachable, and encourage customers to enter. Simple but effective and especially alluring in the summer months. Give it try.

2. Get down on the street or bring it indoors

Location is king when it comes to retail and whether you have that as a prime factor it can never be underestimated the importance of getting out there and being seen.

So, get out from behind your counter, step outside and bring your product to the streets, in the direct view of passers-by, greet people and introduce your merchandise. We all like nothing more than a freebie, so if you have that ability with your product, hand out free tasters and samples, special offers or new product information packs.
This is also a novel way of enticing them into your shop, while building brand awareness at the same time.

How about a demonstration? Or consider hosting an event, workshop or seminar to bring people to you.

For example, if you are a café, why not hold a cookery event? Perhaps an old homemade favourite recipe that customers can learn and enjoy. A greengrocers could introduce a local grower and explain some horticultural facts. If you’re a florist, host a flower arranging masterclass with a competition for the best bouquet. If you are a lettings agent, contact your regular high volume landlords, present a seminar that explains the latest legalities or tax implications.

Sharing knowledge or encouraging people to learn about something new which is a direct source to your business offering, can help in a variety of ways. Not only do you get to show off your skills within your premises, there’s a chance to build a relationship with customers and gain additional lead generation. Collect their details and keep in touch in with new workshops and in store offers. In time their will become advocates to your store or products, purchase what they require for events as well providing you the opportunity to upsell to them.

3. Reward regular customers

Repeat customers are the backbone of any successful business, so consider ways that you can encourage customer loyalty. Loyalty schemes are pretty standard these days but that doesn’t mean they have to be dull. The more exciting they are, the more likely your customer will respond and continue responding.

Offering discounts or promos are the general rule but perhaps teaming up certain products with another, a prize draw or claiming a free gift might work equally well. Perhaps consider offering a discount on a customer’s third or tenth purchase so they have something to aim for, while you gain a captive audience away from the competition.
Do this in conjunction with enhancing your overall Customer Experience, the more comfortable and relevant your retail experience is to a customer, the higher the likelihood they will spend more, hence they become your regulars.

4. Omnichannel and multichannel

There isn’t continued news focus, hype and constant talk about this ever growing channeling craze for no reason, the statistics add up. So take note and join the technology revolution.

Bruno Berthezene, Solocal Group UK managing director paraphrased the point by saying, “The way retailers are using technology, and the web in particular, is evolving rapidly and profoundly changing their business.”

Creating an easy, smooth and seamless experience between channels is imperative to implementing onmichannel successfully.

So give customers the choice to complete transactions on their own terms, whether on a smartphone, PC or ipad, and to either Click & Collect or delivery to a pick up outlet, choice and freedom is the major issue.

A recent study found that 34% of UK consumers like to browse a product online before making a purchase in-store, a trend being termed as “reverse showrooming” For the customer it takes away the hassle of searching and queuing when shopping as well as adding them instantly to a database where loyalty programmes can be instated.

It should also be a great way to research a product, read reviews and size up alternatives. Therefore as a retailer, any threat at this stage needs to be turned into an opportunity by adapting the online and in-store pricing along with how it compares against your competitors. Give all the research tools and best service that your customers expect and they will use you as a knowledge bank and keep returning.

More increasingly retailers are opting to add product locator functionalities to their online stores and store locators. Hotels and restaurants that initially started the appointment booking service has now extended to all types of services.

The conclusion to this generally is ‘interaction and engagement’. Where people feel they are recognised on their own individual requirements or feel they belong by means of relevant communication they tend to react, and in turn, respond.

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