Business Link West Midlands hosted a ‘retail road show’ for Brierley Hill traders at the Waterfront on 4th November. Building on feedback from workshops held across the region a set of ‘tips’ were given to help independent retailers improve their performance. Here they are…
Retail Road Show
Workshop Action Points – summarised from other locations
1. Footfall
- Ensure products and services are second to none.
- Anticipate and plan seasonal events / promotions, then shout about them.
- Use a loyalty card to encourage and reward more custom/ spend – to both new and present customer base.
- Promote at external events – fashion shows / wedding fayres / trade fairs, etc.
- Incentivise and reward customer recommendations to new customers.
- Ensure website is up to date – give reasons to visit regularly.
- Have and promote your own website – reflects accurately your shop/products.
- Use an “A” board outside shop.
- Joint marketing with other non competing shops.
- Shop based research on who your customers are/what they need/what they like about your shop.
- Send out press releases – newsworthy stories only – local press.
2. Good Use of Shop Space
- Ensure products are available to customers to touch / feel/ see / taste etc.
- Change layout to encourage more customer movement around the shop.
- Good use of window space / displays, make passing customer stop, look and come into shop.
- Consider (appropriate) background music.
- Set out promotions and offers around the shop.
- Good graphics – shop’s USP’s/ key product info.
- Strong displays and good merchandising inside shop.
- In-store activity – tastings etc.
- Consider disabled access – in / around the shop.
- Well lit and high presentation standards.
- Shout about your good prices.
- Use of graphics to endorse key shop points.
3. Develop Use of Shop Staff / Team
- Ensure staff work in a good environment.
- Keep staff up to date with regular team meetings.
- Develop product knowledge consistently.
- Empower staff to train others –but oversee results.
- Consider ongoing incentives – not always cash.
- Get them to understand the shopper’s needs.
- Develop staff local knowledge – town.
- Staff appraisals – to assess training / development opportunities.
- Show you care about them.
- Good staff training – internal / external.
- Consider social events to develop team work.
- Say “Thanks” when it’s appropriate.
4. Using IT in Your Business
- Research and consider Epos / computer stock management.
- Use email/text to communicate with customers.
- Collect and progress shop productivity statistics.
- Use Google maps (free) on own websites / promotional info.
- Set up own website and promote it.
- Set up and use a customer database – info/events/offers.
- Use database in own loyalty scheme.
- Look into selling online.
- Computerise accounts / bookkeeping.
- Use PC to produce own in store graphics.
- Review website for group / town outlets.