10 Best Ideas to Run a Store Effectively
Safety Feel for Customers
The store should be designed in such a way so that the customers feel safe and a “feel at home” experience. Customers usually visit stores with an entire family comprising of children and hence children’s safety should be kept in mind. To ensure that the floors are not slippery as the children may run inside the stores for fun and hence the store staff should keep a strict eye on the visitors; especially children so that any accidents could be proactively handled. In the case of escalators inside stores, maintenance should be done regularly and all safety measures pertaining to escalators should be in place. The temperature inside the store should be optimum so that the customer does not face any discomfort. There should be a small relaxing room inside the store so that the elderly member of the family could take rest in case of any discomfort. A first-aid box must be kept at one corner of the store. The basic idea is to make the customer feel that they are at home and concentrate on the shopping.
Brand Display
Adequate brand visibility should be ensured at all appropriate locations of the store. For example, pavement signage, window displays, and interiors should be used. A customer doing window shopping should have proper brand visibility even from 10 to 15 ft outside the store entrance. Hence the font size and the color combination should be appropriate ensuring long distance visibility. In case customers are offered tea or coffee inside the store as a value added service, the brand is to be engraved with the serving cups. The children visiting the store may also be given balloons or simple play toys with the brand image depicted in those gifts. Thus, unknowingly, the customer could carry the brand to their homes and hence brand visibility silently gets spread at every corner.
Right Team in Place
Competent staff should be appointed as direct customer interaction takes place in stores. The staff should be professional and should coordinate with prospective walk-in customers to close the deal through end-to-end coordination. They should also be given adequate power to take prompt decisions and close the case at the very spot. Adequate incentives should also be given to the staff deputed inside stores to keep them motivated.
Business Collaboration
In case of multiple businesses, all products should be properly displayed in the store. The customer should have a feeling that all the products, though different in nature, fall under a single umbrella. Appropriate signages of these products should be adequately displayed at various prominent positions inside the store. The walk-in customers should have the comfort of going through all the products and the staff should explain them in detail.
Customer Service
The staff inside the store should provide excellent customer service and the best shopping experience. In case of any doubt on products, it should be shorted out with the customers at spot with practical demonstration of the product. There should be a smile and a happy atmosphere inside the store. Adequate sample products may also be kept inside the store in case a customer asks for a physical demonstration. Effective customer service and support will keep old customers and bring in new ones.
Loyalty Schemes
Attractive loyalty schemes should be created so that the number of walk-in customers increases, thereby boosting up the sales. In case of repeat purchases by customers, high discounts could be provided or an attractive gift item to be given in case a high amount of purchase has been made. Retail loyalty programs will make the entire transactions in stores interesting with mutual benefit.
Counter Area Optimisation
The store area should be adequately planned. The movement space for the customers should be adequate and the products should be placed at appropriate positions. The store should never get over-crowded and adequate attention to be given to optimize the crowd. In case of festivals or during weekends, proper measures should be taken to avoid overcrowding of walk-in customers. Queues in front of the billing area should be properly maintained and dedicated staff needs to be appointed to check in case the queue increases. Mirrors are a great illusion. Appropriate placement of mirrors can make a small and limited space appear open and spacious.
Marketing Campaign
Ramping up the marketing campaign needs to be effectively done in stores. Competent staff should explain the products and the features in detail to the customers. They can set up small kiosks at various points inside the store, and explain in detail. The contact details of the customers could be noted so that future follow-ups can be done through database update. An advertising strategy to showcase your services or/and products is a sign of a successful company. Social media campaigns are a strong example of this.
Go Green
Incorporating greenery increases the attraction of stores to customers. People love to be surrounded by nature as greens bring peace and hence if greeneries are implemented inside stores, it will draw footfalls to a big extent. In fact, choice of plants are mission critical in stores. We need to opt for low-maintenance plants that require no/less water, soil, or light.
QR Codes
Throwing QR codes into the mix is very important for ensuring social distancing in the store. In fact, QR codes have been widely used as they serve as a good solution for more hygienic customer interactions.
The Alnicosoft module https://www.alnicosoft.com provides an accurate check-out process at the end point counter and hence the customers can leave the counter on a smiling note. Hence using Alnicosoft POS is always beneficial for the business as it is cost effective as well as accurate. The Alnicosoft POS ensures very fast execution on bill generation, thereby ensuring very little queue in front of the billing counter. Hence effective management of stores could be performed through using Alnicosoft POS.
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