I have been working in the retail business for almost five years and also experienced quite many ups and downs. Therefore, many starters in this sector usually come to me and ask for advice. And their most common question is how to increase retail sales. It’s funny because when I started up, that was one of my hardest problems.
So to prevent the beginners from having awful mistakes like I used to and to generate more sales for their business, I decide to write this article. If you are a retailer and having troubles in earning more revenue, it should not be ignored.
How to increase retail sales for your store?
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Have a wise marketing strategy
You are not the only retailer in the market, and customers are cleverer than you think. So choosing a sensible strategy for marketing is going to be the guideline for your campaign and help you earn a greater number of sales.
Marketing online with Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, discounting programs, free gifts, or charity donations are some common tasks you can do. Just choose whatever appropriate to your products and the time. For example, in early winter, you can sell your scarves with a lower price than usual and gradually increase it when the weather got colder.
We have tons of other strategies for retail stores and if you want to find out about them, try this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF24OWYYiwE
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Make your store more attractive
There are many reasons why customers skip your store and go to another. Perhaps, it looks too dark; its door is dirty, or the display is not sufficiently tempted. I have seen various shops like that and the first thing came up to my head was always “It probably does not have what I need.” And then I walked straight away. You don’t want that to happen to your store, do you? It’s time to redecorate it.
You can do some things like these:
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Hang or Stick some decorations on the door, which are relevant to your products
Because I have a store selling baby stuff, I put some small stickers with the shape of diapers, feeding bottles, and artificial nipples. Therefore, the whole store looks quite cute on the outside, and the customers will immediately know what products I have. And they just walk in without any hesitation.
You can apply this method to your store. For example, if you have a clothes store, you can hang the most stylish item on the door. Or if you own a bookstore, you can put some of the books you have in front of the door, so that when people walk by, they will quickly take a look at them and also your shop. It’s not so complicated, isn’t it?
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Change how the window look
The window is also vital, especially when your store has a wide space for it. Cleaning it up is the task that you should do every morning. When the customers see how glossy and neat, they will have a greater mood to walk in. Otherwise, you can use the tip that I show you with the door.
But remember, don’t decorate it too much. If you already make some colors to the door, it’s best to leave the window and vice versa. We need the clients to feel mesmerized and see our goods at the same time.
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Use another type of light
As I mentioned, it can be a problem when your retail store looks too dark or have an inappropriate light. Therefore, changing the light is also very necessary.
To do this, you need to have an overview of your store. Just get outside and take a look at it like a customer. You will see how you need to change your light. I did it last Christmas, and it was not only enjoyable but also very efficient. After that, I switched to the golden light, the one that commercial centers usually took advantage. You can try it if you want.
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Play great songs or videos
Have you ever experienced the anechoic chamber at Orfield Laboratories in South Minneapolis? It is claimed to be the most silent room in the world and can drive people crazy when staying in there.
A store feels just like that when it does not have any noise. I always feel quite uncomfortable when walking into a store and the shopkeeper just continuously watches me in silence. That is why for my retail shop, I often play some music to dispel the inopportune moments. Besides, when hearing a favorite song, the customers always linger a little longer than usual, which is a great chance to give them useful consultations.
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Stimulate customers’ smell
Another way to make your store more attractive is to wake your clients’ smell up. This tip particularly works for bakery stores or the ones selling beauty products. Stimulating the sense of smell usually, makes the clients feel more relaxed and curious to find out what that odor is. And therefore, they will buy something or come back various times later.
You can apply this tip even if you have a department store. It’s about Christmas so you can bake some cookies and put it in your shop. I’m sure your clients cannot resist such a sweet scent.
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Goods arrangements
After you have succeeded in making the clients going into your store, other phases will be a lot easier. And the art of arranging products can play a significant role in increasing your profits. If you place the products reasonably, your customers will feel much more comfortable to find them, and you will also be able to introduce the new ones. I only have three tips for you.
- Don’t leave any shelves empty: When every other shelf is full, an empty one seems to be so solitary and creates an unsafe feeling. I researched some customers about this issue, and that was the result. So make sure the shelves are full.
- Keep the essential goods at the back of your store: This is to ensure that before reaching to the products the clients want, they will need to walk by all of the others in your store. And there are often numerous chances that they will be attracted to some types of goods along the way. It will increase your opportunities to sell one more product.
- Display some small items of an entire package: With products like a set of pots or pillows and blankets, this strategy works very well. You can show a part of the whole package with an atomic percent of discount. According to my experiences, the clients are more likely to purchase it if they like an item in it.
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Employees are matter
If decorations and arrangements of goods are to hold your customers, the employees will boost them to make decisions. Therefore, training them is one of the first things you need to do. Teach your staff how to smile, how to communicate with clients, what to do when they hesitate, and how to deal with their decision-making process. If you are excellent at these, I don’t think there will be any obstacles. Nevertheless, don’t worry if you lack experiences. There are a significant number of experts willing to teach your employees how to make sales. Or you can ask for lessons from other retailers. I’m sure they would love to share.
Just in case you need some initial training for your employees, this video can help you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnLGRlKFZGU
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Increase the quality of customer service
Finally, increasing sales for your retail store cannot omit loyal customers. And only an excellent service can accomplish it. Of all your clients, approximately 20 percent is loyal to you and 80 percent left normal ones. However, those 20 percent loyal creates 80 percent of your sales. So if you want to increase your revenue, try to take care of them after they buy from your store.
With my products, I usually call them after they make the purchase three days to see if there is any problem and whether their baby feels comfortable using my product. When they have some complaints, I immediately offer a change. Fortunately, no matter what their answer is, I always receive compliments for enthusiastic consultations and responsible attitude. And those make them come back over and over again.
Therefore, pay more attention to your clients after they walk out of your store and more profits will come to you.
Conclusion
Have I fulfilled all of your wonders?
I hope the answer is yes. So if you like my article, please share it with everybody and other retailers. I believe not only you but also plenty of your friends will feel excited about it. And don’t hold your questions in your mind. Comment them down here, and I would love to have a discussion with you.
In conclusion, thank you for reading the article about how to increase retail sales, and I hope to see you in my subsequent articles. Goodbye.