To answer this very simply – it may not be at all for many stores. Part of what you sell and the store you have created is to be a hands on, old fashioned kind of shopping experience. Then again, you need to consider modern ways and modern customers to keep your store thriving.

Three things to consider doing to help integrate your store with mobile marketing and ultimately, mobile sales include:

1. Incorporate coupons or discounts into mobile technology. Text discount codes or special incentives versus just send them out as an email or via social media.

2. Encourage customers to take a picture of something they are debating on buying. By doing this, it will leave an impression with them again and again as they scroll through their photos… and often encourage them to come back and buy it. Without a picture, it may be dismissed in their busy lives.

3. Include scannable QR codes or offer website addresses about store products. Or both. Either way, they will be engaged with their phone. And the reality is, many consumers like being engaged with their phone. If you can connect with them through that, then you have met your goal.

Mobile marketing isn’t going anywhere. In fact, studies suggest it’s only increasing. According to comScore, mobile marketing is a big trend that is sure to stay around for awhile. Just consider these points below (as provided by comScore).

• 1 in 5 U.S. smartphone owners took a picture of a product while in a store.
• About 1 in 5 smartphone owners… aka customers… scanned a product bar code.
• 12% of all smartphone owners used their phone to compare product prices while actually in a store.
• Nearly 10% of consumers use their phones to find coupons or deals.

Very few trade shows can truly capture a variety of retail sectors. Lucky for us, ASD Trade Show does exactly this – and does it well! For over fifty years, ASD Trade Show has supported independent retailers with their unique goals of creating dynamic merchandising mixes for their stores. With over 2,800 vendors to choose from in the fashion, beauty, home, toys, garden and more categories, it’s no surprise retailers who attend ASD return again and again. Essentially, the ASD Trade Show is like six trade shows in one.

Plus! Retail Minded will be at ASD scouting the entire show for the best of the best. Follow us at @RetailMinded and at the Retail Minded Blog for live updates on the show. Then again… you may just be there! Don’t forget to apply to win here!

Learn more about the ASD Show at www.asdonline.com, as well as follow them on Twitter @ASDShow.

Hope to see you in Vegas!

Closeouts are available in many product categories, including clothing, home decor, footwear, accessories, toys and more. They are essentially divided into two categories – salvage items and job-outs. The first category we look at is salvage product. Salvage merchandise consists of customer returns, floor damages and samples. Due to this mixed assortment, some items may be damaged – however damageable does not always mean unsellable. This will depend on the product and the damage. That said – the majority will not be damaged.

The second category of closeout merchandise is job-outs. This category identifies items that were already on a retail floor somewhere and did not sell. As a result, their cost has been reduced for a quick sell to another retailer and ultimately, to a new consumer audience. Like salvaged products, there is a chance for damaged goods. But the percentage is much less – often less than 5%, though as high as 10% has been reported from retailers we’ve spoke with.

One thing to understand among most closeout purchases is that you typically buy in bulk. For example, you may buy 100 total units versus four 6-packs of a specific item. The bulk buy you make is almost always assorted with a variety of items. For example, you could buy a 100 assorted buy of t-shirts from at least ten different total vendors. Or you could buy 100 total units of mixed accessories such as headbands, barrettes, bracelets, rings and more. A closeout dealer will be able to identify a lot of what each bulk, assorted buy has to offer – but there will always be a bit of a surprise when buying closeouts. For many, that is part of the fun! For others, this may be where they get stuck in the buying process. Luckily, there are great resources for this that alleviate a lot of the questions about buying closeouts. One site to look at is Merchandize Liquidators, who do a good job at delivering quality closeout products.

Many indie and small retailers shy away from closeouts simply due to their lack of understanding or even the “bad rap” that closeouts sometimes have. Our advice? Consider what is best for you. Closeout liquidators exist because it has proven to be successful for many retailers to buy from.  Among these include a lot of small, independent retailers that blend closeout buys into their total store inventory – without customers or even staff knowing any different. It’s very possible you shop a boutique that sells closeouts and you don’t know any different, as well.

Have we made you think twice about your buys or where you shop? Let us know!

If you’re being social in the online world, it’s likely you are doing so that you can make money. Am I right? In order to do this, there are various elements of tweeting and posting that need to happen in order for you to actually reach this goal. To start, you need a purpose.

What’s Your Goal?

Want to increase your e-commerce sales? Hope to get more store foot traffic? Looking to gain new clientele? Whatever your goal – or goals – are, support them responsibly through your social media actions. Check out our five point guide to being social with a purpose:

1. Know what you want. This means identifying why you tweet or why you post. This also means identifying what you don’t want from social media.

2. Stay focused. Don’t get lost in the clutter social media can bring to your world. Stay focused on what it is you want to gain from it. Remind yourself everyday if you have to, or give yourself a time limit to tweeting or posting on Facebook or LinkedIn. Don’t waste time by clicking on every post or pop up you see just because you can.

3. Identify ideal posts & tweets. This means getting rid of all the extra tweets, etc. that don’t relate to your goals. And  I’m not talking about other people’s tweets. I’m talking about yours! Be known for business, not your personal life, if that’s what you want.

4. Engage with others. No matter what, engaging is a part of social media. That’s why it’s called social. So just because you want things from people – such as them buying something from you – you must engage with your social media world in order to build relationships. Think of it as online customer service.

5. Be consistent. There is nothing worse than being lazy when it comes to social media. If you choose to make this a part of your marketing and sales plan for your business, then step up to the plate and do it regularly. Think of it as weight loss… if you eat a giant pizza then only lettuce the next day then pizza again the third day… will it work? Nope. It’s the same thing as social media. Consistency is key.

Finally, be realistic. If you know social media isn’t for you, consider hiring someone to do this for you. Some of you may even be okay eliminating it entirely from your business – though this isn’t ideal since we are living in a world where social media is only growing, not going away. Baby steps first, though. What’s your goal?

To help increase your opportunity for social sales, here are a few tips:

1. Announce new product arrivals or any other worthy news and monitor how much your traffic increases to your site as a result of your announcements. This allows you to also see sale increases during these times. It’s important to understand the relationship of sales and social media so that your time is spent wisely. Pay attention to what tweets & posts gain the most responses and link backs, as well.

2. Offer incentives to your followers on your social sites that would make them want to shop with you. Give coupon codes for purchases made during a specific time frame, for certain products or just because. Track the purchases made as a result compared to your total number of followers.

3. Allow old fashion communication to enter the picture. Social media is an extension of plain old socializing, which in shopping is part of the fun! People are familiar with this and some are even more comfortable with this. Include your phone number and email address as options for customers to connect if Twitter and Facebook isn’t their thing.

You should be open to the both the fun and the challenges of social marketing to allow for social sales if you want to be successful with online retailing. It’s tough, though. And competitive. Not only does your product need to be great (we know you have that covered), but your website and communication need to be great, as well. A balance of everything can equal to a wonderful reward of social sales.

Let’s forget about you for a minute, and think about your customers. Do they use social media? Would they if it was a more accessible experience for them? Would your store sales increase if customers interacted with you more online… even if you only have a brick and mortar store?

The thing about social media is that it’s not always about selling (though really it is… keep listening). Social media provokes small talk in a very modern way. From chatting about the weather to discussing your weekend plans, social media encourages conversation, very simply. And if you and your store encourage this conversation, the conversation will naturally lead back to you (sales!). One way to do this is by introducing a Social Media Console to your store. This console would be a dedicated space that only has your social media outlets available for customers to engage in – in other words, not just a computer for them to play on. Twitter and Facebook tend to be the most popular for retailers, though there are a variety to choose from. The key is creating a space for customers to talk abut your business while they are experiencing your business… even if they have their own smart phone. The experience is the whole catch. And if they aren’t the smart phone type but still like to check in to their Facebook account every so often, your store console is a great place to do it… providing they are chatting about your biz.

No space for a console? That’s okay. Remind your social media fans walking through your store to “check in” on their phone. An inviting reminder to “tweet” and “update” where they are and what they are doing… or better yet, include a pic… is a great way to gain visibility to audiences that may not already  know about you. And if they do know about you, it never hurts for a reminder to let them know your doors are open.

Finally, your store introduces hundreds of ways to market itself, and social media should be one of them. If you have a few minutes to spare, log on. Only have  second? Log on! It’s not going anywhere, so it’s time to make it a (big) part of your retail life.

From creating impressionable window displays to offering festive gift wrap to planning for extra staff, the list is long. Let’s not forget stocking your store with this season’s must have gifts! Trusting your orders are already placed (we hope), here’s a look at some operational musts to ensure your holiday season is a success.

1. Create and start promoting extended hours to support the holiday season. If you are in a zoned area or shopping mall, these hours may already be determined for you. Either way, start marketing these hours so that your customers know you are there for them beyond your normal hours.

2. Plan for special marketing initiatives. These will vary based on your store and customer, but are likely to include (but not limited to) email marketing, a holiday open house, special shopping deals, customer appreciation days, a visit from Santa in your store, a shopping guide for customers, e-commerce only specials and more.

3. Identify your return and exchange policies on all receipts and near your cash wrap. If you are planning for altered policies specifically for the holiday season, make sure you also identify time frames they are specific to. It’s always a good idea to have customers initial receipts after you have explained your policy, as well.

4. Use social media as a marketing tool to post daily deals, special event details and more. If you aren’t already using social media, it’s not too late to get started. If you already are, you are a million steps ahead already! Identify how you can leverage your social media audience to not just hear you, but buy from you this holiday season.

5. Cross promote with like minded businesses. Create packages that overlap your products or services with other businesses in a “bundle package”, allowing you to gain new customers from their mailing list and customer outreach – and vice versa. Addiitonally, it’s a fun way to introduce new gifts to your local marketplace.

6. Get the media involved in your holiday plans. Radio stations, newspapers, local television stations, magazines and other local media outlets are crave great information to share with their readers. Let your store holiday plans be among what they share! Get on the ball now, though… The holidays are only ten weeks away.

7. Plan for additional staff. Possibly this means additional hours for current employees. Maybe this means holiday only help. Whatever works for you, it’s time to get it all identified so when the rush of customers keeps you busy, you won’t be stressing about extra help supporting you. Remember to train new hires, as well, on all your store policies!

8. Plan for Plan B. Extra help means extra people to worry about. If someone calls in sick, do you have a back up plan? Life happens – so you may as well have a plan of attack for when it does.

9. Have your holiday window and store displays ready to go. This means knowing what products and extra display accessories you need to support a dynamic display are ready to go for you to simply install. Don’t wait till the last minute to buy your own display extras at the store, either… Just like your store, they are likely busy and maybe sold out. Plus, you want your displays to be impactful and memorable, so don’t wait till the last minute to plan for them.

10. Offer above the top gift wrapping. Sure, everyone offers free gift wrapping this time of year. But does everyone offer beautifully wrapped presents that make a statement all on their own? While we can’t all get the same response a Tiffany blue box does, we can certainly try! The real challenge is to simply go above and beyond the expected.

Bonus Tip: Stay cheerful. The holidays are suppose to be a happy, beautiful time of year. Unfortunately, this isn’t only the case. If it happens to be stressful at home or in your store or both (hey, it happens to the best of us), try not to let your customers see this stress. By acting… dare we say… Christmas”y”, you help set the mood that then impacts your customers.

Finally, try to enjoy the season! From Cyber Monday to Black Friday to Christmas Eve, there is a lot to get ready… and to get excited… for. Have more tips to share? Let us know!

For some, the idea of e-receipts can be intimidating. It’s just one more thing to depend on technology for. Many small retailers and independent retailers already feel behind in the technology trends for retailers. Here’s the catch, though…. E-receipts don’t have to be difficult. In fact, they are meant to make your life easier.

Depending on your POS provider or your own personal operations set up, e-receipts offer the chance for you to to the following:

1. Quickly provide customers with proof of transaction without having to print anything – saving paper (and your overhead expenses) while also being green. An added bonus? No more paper receipt packed wallets for your customers!

2. Collecting an email address to mail an e-receipt allows you to gain their email for other marketing purposes. This reason alone is enough of a reason to want to get on board with the e-receipt band wagon. Make sure at the bottom of your receipt you offer an “out” button for people who may want to unsubscribe  to your email marketing. It’s likely most will not opt out, so you will gain a lot of eyes here.

3. Return procedures can be better managed with e-receipts since you will have a history of receipts sent, as well as customers can’t “lose” them as easily. As we all know, what’s on the internet stays around forever. There are perks to that, after all!

Now the reality is not all customers will be in favor of an e-receipt. And that’s okay. The option for a printed version or an emailed version should be your first goal. Where the future will take us only the future can tell in regards to retail receipts. But to get familiar with this new trend can’t hurt. In fact, it will likely help you in many ways.

A woman’s plain white t-shirt could be described as “Plain, white t-shirt in cotton blend.” Or, you could describe it like this, “Classic, white, capped sleeved t-shirt with 98% cotton and 2% spandex for a perfectly fitted wardrobe essential that shapes you in all the right places.” By describing this t-shirt with more detail, you offer a more vivid image for the customer to envision what this shirt would be like in their own closet and on their own body. Sometimes it can be more effective to list the details of a product while also providing a catchy title that will entice your audience. Using the t-shirt as an example again, you could write, “Perfect Silhouette T-Shirt: 98% cotton, 2% spandex, 2” capped sleeves.”

Based on your product and your website layout, you should decide which product description style is best for you. Make sure to be consistent, though, and offer your customers a trusted source of information for each item you sell. Don’t leave one product short on detail and yet give another product to much detail. Your audience wants to trust each item will be described just as effectively as the next.

Another tip is to request descriptions from your vendors. They are often already described to help guide you in selling it successfully. If you are still struggling with getting your descriptions written, consider hiring support for this. Smart, shopping savvy copy can literally help you gain sales versus lose them, so don’t dismiss this scenario too fast! Finally, don’t let your words get stale. If  your products expand or change, make sure to take the time to update your new descriptions. Words are powerful when you can’t touch products – along with your images, they are your selling tools.

For information on how Retail Minded can support you in your  copywriting needs, please contact nicole@retailminded.com. 

Smart and savvy in their deals, the sites below all cater to B2B expenses, overhead and more. Check them out for yourself to see what may be great for your business.

Bizy Deals, www.bizydeal.com

From Constant Contact deals to reduced credit card fees, these deals are worth checking out. They even have a 50% savings on leasing a sales rep! Their tag line  is “Money Saved is Money Earned”… enough said.

Market Blitz, www.marketblitzdeals.com

While this tends to lean heavily for Denver area deals, it’s starting to spread itself out around the country. From reduced press release services to office furniture to marketing services, their deals are designed for businesses of all kinds.

Group Price, www.groupprice.com

Their goal is to help your business grow for less… less money spent from you, that is. What they offer are unique and purposeful deals that help get your job done. While not everything they offer will be for you, a lot of it likely is. Worth the online visit to their site!

Office Arrow, www.officearrow.com

These guys not only offer daily deals, they have a lot of valuable business content on their site. Webinars, podcasts, articles and more make up their collection of tools supporting business owners – gotta love that.

Spending money is a necessity in making money sometimes, so why not spend less and still gain exactly what you need? These sites are worth checking out – and checking out often – for that reason alone.

Happy dealing!