Perhaps you’ve noticed a lull in sales, or you’re simply looking for ways to boost your income this month; there are a few things you can do to make things more attractive for your customers and get them to spend more in-store. Here are a few ideas.
Make things as easy as possible
As a generation, we are used to getting things on-demand and are looking for the quickest, most efficient way to do things. We are also incredibly digital in our everyday processes. Therefore, if you are a store that only accepts cash, you will find yourself missing out greatly on customers. Investing in a contactless card reader is one of the best things you can do. Not only do people spend more when it comes to card payments, but accepting contactless removes your customer from that ‘paying’ moment even more and they are more likely to pick up a few more bits and bobs to put in their shopping basket.
If you want to offer something like digital receipts, make this process optional, as not everyone will want to give over their email address, and if you are signing people up to something like a loyalty card, again, you want to make this as simple and quick as possible. The whole ringing up process should be efficient, but without losing the friendly atmosphere – your customer shouldn’t feel as though they are being rushed out, but at the same time you don’t want them to feel frustrated and eager to leave.
Loyalty schemes
As mentioned, store loyalty schemes are a great idea. They reward store loyalty, and cost very little, but may very well be the reason your customers come back to you time and time again. They don’t have to be anything too fancy, especially if you are in a smaller store. Get some business cards printed, with circles that can be stamped in-store when the customer spends X amount of dollars. The reward can be something simple like 10% off a spend up to $100, or a free coffee.
Mix things up, but not too much
Customers will want to know where things are in your store, and if you are constantly moving things it can get frustrating. That said, we do get used to seeing the same things and our brains start to blank them out, so make sure you change up your displays seasonally, or with different themes. Have a set area where you showcase things such as that week’s best-selling books, seasonal goods, or special offers.
Keeping your store clean and organized, attractive to your customers, and easy to navigate without ever getting boring and stale isn’t easy but it will make a huge difference to your sales in the long run. Looking at the customer journey and ways in which you can improve it will keep things working efficiently and your loyal customers returning time and time again.
