Posted by retailmakeover on January 02, 2011 0 Comments
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Posted by retailmakeover on December 28, 2010 0 Comments
1. Select a name for the sale. Use it on all your promotional material.
2. Call or write all your best customers and invite them to come and enjoy the bargains.
3. Great signage it is very important it tells customers what is going on in your store and why they should come in . Make sure you announce the sale on your store window . Have a look at the retail window signage I have designed with Wall Talk called "ShoppeTalk " here is the link www.walltalksales.ca/Shoppetalk . You will love what we have to offer you.
4. Re pricing items with effective sales tags or placing clearly marked interior signs to show the discount is a very good idea. Consumers love to see what they are saving. This can help increase multiply purchases.
5. What products to offer? Overstock from Xmas and products that have been in your store and that have not moved for the last year should be the products you put on clearance. Do not pack up any seasonal items and save for next year. It is not a sound financial move. You are packing up money.
6. Your store should not look like it usually does. Pull the store apart . Make it look different and like something is happening. Put tables into the aisles and stack up the products you are clearing. You get the idea.
7. Train your staff to know what the deals are so there is no confusion. Also train them to welcome everyone that comes into your store by telling customers about all the wonderful specials on during the sale.
8. This is a great time to increase your customer base . Don't forget to ask new customers to join your monthly newsletter .
Look out for the Retail Makeover University schedule for January, 2011 . We start with a bang ! reviewing your performance in 2010 and setting up sales and marketing plans for 2011.
Thanks for a great year. It has been a pleasure to work with you.
Best
Barbara
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Posted by retailmakeover on October 12, 2010 0 Comments
Recently I read a survey that 67% of consumers polled left or didn't return to a store because of perceived apathy. Stores seemingly or actually not caring about them as customers.
That got me thinking about the whole customer experience and the importance of the real connection between you, the retail owner, and your customers.
Service quality is your #1 concern, it's part of the whole customer experience. Retail consumers measure you in the market place and against your competition.
In my daily practice as Retail Makeover Coach I'm often asked the question "How does a retailer find out what the customer experience is in their store?"
The best and easiest way is to ask.
Why I want you to do surveys is that it gets you in front of your customer; you get to hear what they think.
So what do you ask your customers?
Here are keys ideas you want to know from your customers:
- Where do you live?
- How often do they come to this general area to shop?
- How often do they come into your store?
- Do they shop for themselves or for gifts?
- Do they like your store set up?
- Is it easy to find things and to move from one place to another?
- Do you carry the products they like?
- Would they like to see something added to your product mix?
- How is your staff? Friendly, knowledgeable, available to help
- Store appearance?
- How would they rate your customer care?
- Product displays?
- Overall shopping experience?
- Would they recommend your store to friends and family?
- Would they like to receive your monthly newsletter?
I believe in regular surveys being done. One a year is a must. You should be able to handle this yourself. Create the form and do the leg work.
Surveys can be administered in many different ways: in-store, on-line, your monthly newsletter, mailed to your customers home or place of business or by phone. You choose what works best for you. Use a rating system 1-10, 10 being exceptional and 1 very poor.
In getting ready for this article I went into different retail stores to pick up their customer care cards. From formats that just ask. How are we doing? Leaving me endless lines to write - to surveys that were full of questions with boxes to tick off. There where on line surveys with a contest attached to it. Or mail me back surveys with a coupon attached to them. So lots of different approached.
As a thank you, you may want to give an in-store coupon for $10, it's a nice gesture and the customer gets to spend the coupon in your store.
So what do you do with the info you get? You react to it and act on it. If after you do the survey you don't know how to assess what you need to do. Please contact me, it will be my pleasure to help you.
Let me know how you are doing with this.
Your Retail Makeover Coach
Barbara
www.retailmakeover.ca
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Posted by retailmakeover on October 10, 2010 0 Comments
This is for Store Owners and Retail Managers
Do you know what your Job Description is?
Are you ready for your Retail Makeover and manage your business more effectively? Do you know what your job description is? I know how challenging it is to manage a retail specialty store. I want you to be the best retail store owner or manager you can be.
Here is what I need you to do, you must set aside 5 hours a week to review, plan and assess what you are doing with your business. I know this seems like a lot of time. Most businesses start to fail because owners do not spend this time each week. Do not pick your home to do this work in because you will be sucked into the dramas that are taking place there and you more then likely will not focus in on the work I need you to do. Your office at the store also may not be the best place because when you are there your staff will always get you involved in what's happening in the store and interrupt your Retail Makeover Store Planning Time.
Your Job Description:
The main focus of any retail manager or owners' job is to improve the commercial performance of the store by increasing its turnover and maximizing profitability. Achieving performance objectives will require action in one of the main areas of retail activity: store operations; human resources, finance, buying, customer care, marketing, logistics, information technology, and administration.
Major parts of the job on a day-to-day basis include managing staff, finding new ways to improve sales, and meeting customer demands.
Typical work activities:
- managing and motivating a team to increase sales and ensure efficiency
- managing stock levels and making key decisions about stock control
- analyzing sales figures and forecasting future sales volumes to maximize profits
- analyzing and interpreting trends to facilitate planning
- using information technology to record sales figures and for data analysis and forward planning
- dealing with staffing issues; interviewing potential staff, conducting appraisals and performance reviews, and providing or organizing training and development
- ensuring standards for quality, customer service and health and safety are met
- resolving health and safety, legal and security issues
- responding to customer complaints and comments
- promoting the organization
- organizing special promotions, displays and events
- attending and chairing meetings
- updating colleagues on business performance, new initiatives and other pertinent issues
- touring the sales floor regularly, talking to staff and customers, and identifying or resolving urgent issues
- maintaining awareness of market trends in the retail industry, understanding forthcoming customer initiatives, and monitoring what local competitors are doing
- initiating changes to improve the business, e.g. revising opening hours to ensure the store can compete effectively in the local market
- dealing with sales, as and when required
Do you see yourself in this list? Focusing on the above is important. Stop doing your employees work . I'll send you your staff job description next week.
My last thought for you - if you have been thinking about enrolling in my Retail Makeover Business Planning Program, do it today. Let's get started and right size your business.
Till next time. Have a great sales week.
Best ,
Barbara
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