10 Quick Tips to Excel in Brick & Mortar Retail

Thanks to technology and consumer demands, the realities of retail are changing rapidly. Yet, despite the rapid pace of retail evolution, brick and mortar retailers have the opportunity to lean on old-fashioned techniques to help their stores thrive while incorporating new strategies to help strengthen their business operations.

Curious how your store can be among those physical retailers who excel in retail? Check out the ten tips below.

Tip #1: Deliver Red Carpet Customer Service

Want to really impress your customers? Treat every single guest who walks through your doors like a VIP. Whether a customer appears to be just browsing or is a familiar face who you know has spent money at your store in the past, deliver red carpet customer service to all guests who visit your business—ultimately helping your store earn a reputation for being a friendly and supportive place to shop while also helping to increase sales.

Tip #2: Provide Regular Employee Training

From your store policies regarding delivery of customer care to the expectations you set for merchandising your inventory and handling downtime in between customer visits, it’s important that your employees are informed about your unique store expectations. Don’t leave room for them to wonder what to do… or worse, disappoint you in their actions. Instead, make employee training with clear guidelines a priority for your store.

Tip #3: Use Data to Improve Business Efforts  

To be proactive and efficient in your business efforts, it’s important to incorporate data into your day-to-day, weekly, monthly, and annual business tasks. Through data, retailers become enabled to improve productivity, strengthen ROI across all channels—including employee management, inventory, social media, and more—as well as improve performance and overall operational efforts. The catch? Data can be generated thanks to modern technologies, but it’s important to actually review itand react to itin order for it to be effective.

Tip #4: Re-Merchandise Your Displays Regularly

Let’s face it, a reality of retail is the opportunity displays have to makeor breakengagement among consumers. Through displays, retailers can leverage opportunities to connect with customers and provoke consumer engagement. Poor displays can do just the opposite and turn customers away from your store and inventory. To avoid this potential shortcoming, make merchandising a priority. From dynamic displays to regular merchandising updates, how your store visually appeals to consumers is something not to overlook.

Tip #5: Appeal to Your Target Demographics Through In-Store Strategies 

If you’re looking to capture more customer attention, begin by first understanding who your customers truly are. Do they exclusively fall into the Gen Z category, or do Baby Boomers also provide opportunities to be among your customers? Identify who your audience is, then make sure you provide an in-store experience that resonates with each of them. From incorporating digital technologies and providing signage with large enough fonts for all generations to easily read to offering a play area for kiddos to stay busy while their moms shop, it’s critical to consider every detail of your store experience when it comes to keeping your customers happy across every generation.

Tip #6: Identify Staples & Statements Among Your Store Inventory 

Want to strengthen store sales while keeping customers engaged and excited? Be sure to offer staple items your consumers can confidently know you stock and sell, such as denim jeans for a clothing store, red roses for a floral shop, and other basic items depending on your store category, while also providing statement items that are more seasonal or trendy. This variety will help keep customers consistently coming to your store while also providing you an avenue to keep sales growing.

Tip #7: Introduce Automation Into Your Store Efforts

Time is among the most valuable resources any business can have. Therefore, it’s important to welcome today’s modern technologies into your store efforts as a way to ease your business operations. Through automation, inventory can be better managed, customer service can be strengthened, and billing and operational responsibilities,  such as renewing your insurance policies or paying your employees,  can be done more easily. Welcome automation into your store strategy as a way to gain time to do what you do best—building and growing your business.

Tip #8: Protect Your Business Against Any Potential Threats

Peace of mind is something any busy retailer can appreciate. Yet, too often this reality doesn’t set in until it’s too late.If your store is on fire or flooding, you do not want to have to worry whether your insurance company will be there for you, so making sure you have an insurance company you can trust is important. An insurance agent can review your unique store risks and help you choose the right insurance coverages to protect your business. Explore more here.

Tip #9: Get to Know Your Neighbors

Despite online reviews and savvy technologies that help spread the word about your store to others, old-fashioned referrals can still drive sales to your business. To help gain more customers, make an effort to get to know other businesses in your community so they can refer their customers to you and you can do the same for them. This word-of-mouth marketing strategy may be old fashioned, but it’s something that will never go out of style.

Tip #10: Show Your Customers How Much You Appreciate Them

From introducing loyalty programs into your store strategy to handwriting thank-you notes for certain customer purchases or hosting in-store consumer appreciation events,  let your customers know just how much you care. This TLC is often lost in today’s busy merchant landscape, yet it’s usually appreciated when introduced. To help maximize your efforts here, be sure to layer your customer appreciation efforts into multiple strategies versus just one.

Finally, as you aim to strengthen your brick and mortar experience, also aim to strengthen your visibility among consumers. Don’t dismiss the importance of having an online strategy that includes social media, an easy-to-navigate website, and cohesive branding across all platforms where your store is represented online.

Combined with the tips mentioned above, you will be positioned to gain strength in your local retail marketplace while also gaining strength in your store’s success.

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