How to Build Summertime Success in Retail

With internet commerce more relevant than ever before, the bustling high street hey-day may well be waning. Some retailers are able to flourish without ever investing much money in physical stores with glowing signs and expensively decorated shop windows.

But changing business environments will always inspire new innovations as entrepreneurs find ways of making ideas work. Retailers are thinking up in-store changes they can make to drive foot traffic and receive the boosts that come with them. So what can you do for your shop to make sure your business stays busy?

Does it make a difference?

Many business owners will wonder how much it matters to retailers and the economy if shoppers go online rather than to brick and mortar stores. But when it comes to spending bigger, buying more products, and gaining that emotional attachment to a business, being present in-store really matters.

Consumers in-store are far more likely to purchase items they see but did not originally intend to buy. The impulse buyer or the shopper on a retail therapy trip both have an emotional involvement in the shopping experience which continues to keep the physical store relevant.  So when looking for ideas to bring customers into your store, what does the trick?

In short, a focus on the social and sensory in-store experience and expanding that social outreach: marketing and customer service.

Marketing ideas to increase footfall

The essence of marketing is making people aware of your business and creating potential customers by showing people things they may want. The physical store’s biggest advantage over the online market is the human experience and so advertising a sociable local business is an increasingly attractive way of building traffic in retail.

It follows that social media provides the free marketing that every business wants while cultivating a social identity for a business. Many small businesses advertise themselves effectively not only by posting about products but also about themselves and what’s happening in-store.

On the other hand, making as many people as possible aware of where your store is located and what you have to offer is crucial to increasing footfall. Setting up on Google Business and getting Google Reviews is a fantastic place to start. Once on Google Business, your store will appear on Google Maps for all the world to see, making you visible and easy to find both for those looking for a business like yours and for anyone nearby.

Local Inventory Advertising will increase sales and is the perfect way of weaponising the tool of the internet with the aim of getting people in-store. This form of advertising can be used to make online sales, but is often used to tell nearby web searchers that you sell what they want and are in the neighbourhood.

Local inventory ads can be targeted so your marketing efforts are only driven towards people within a certain radius of your location. This way, all money spent has the best chance of bringing someone through your door.

So much modern marketing revolves around the internet, and even online shoppers that have already made purchases can be brought in-store if your business offers click and collect services. Some online shoppers often want the convenience of the internet but do not want the logistical difficulty of arranging home delivery. A click and collect service will bring customers inside where further impulse purchases can be made and customer relations built.

The human element of retail

While the same is true for online commerce, having a beautiful store makes people much more likely to step inside. To increase retail traffic investing time and money on a considered, colourful, and eye-catching sign above your door is important. Your sign and window display are the faces of your business and passing foot traffic is a valuable portion of your potential clientele.

The presence of foot traffic will be a determining factor in your real estate costs, so ensuring you tap into it with a good sign and the right displays is important. Choosing items for display that are interesting, popular, mobile (if possible), and part of a promotion will go a long way.

Your real-time POS reports will tell you which products are your best-sellers and can be broken down into seasonal and monthly top products. You can use this to make the best choices for display and can update your window to match the time of year. Regular passers-by will see a fresh display and notice. Getting people to slow down outside your store is the first step to getting them inside.

Get customers in the door

Now that we’ve examined, in detail, how important foot traffic is to your continued success, it’s time to look at a way you can increase straight from your POS system. The Epos Now App Store has just the integration you need. 

NearSt is very simple considering how effective it can be. Essentially NearSt is an online listing service. Simply create your account, upload your items, and NearSt will automatically list your items on top of relevant Google searches with Google Local Inventory Ads. It even enhances your prominence on map apps. 

Not only does this get your products in front of an audience of (potentially) millions, it also entices new customers into your physical store. As an entrepreneur, your biggest enemy is ignorance of what you offer, NearSt nips this issue in the bud. 

Targeting the right audience is important and NearSt understands this. They allow you to target specific audiences to make sure your products get in front of the right people. The more on-target you are, the more likely you are to see an uptick in foot traffic. 

Use the best POS system for your business

With specialist retail hardware and top-of-the-range software with marketing and customer storage capabilities, Epos Now can provide retail resources to boost in-store numbers like never before.

Contact our expert team or find out more online about a POS system trusted by over 40,000 businesses like yours.