With the rise of various forms of marketing tips and strategies, especially the digital kind, businesses have bombarded consumers with advertisements left and right. This is particularly true when it comes to digital shopping.

The main reason why digital marketing has soared over the years is because of the convenience it brings; with just a few clicks, you can have your favourite product or needed service delivered right at your doorstep. In fact, 87% of UK customers make purchases online. Additionally, e-commerce increased its sales by 72.7% in 2020.

How can you, as the owner or a prospective renter of the best retail space in Soho or any other area, navigate your way in this competitive space? Here are six strategies to increase walk-ins to your shop that you can consider from the beginning:

1. Keep up with trends

If there’s one thing that makes your store outdated and unappealing, it’s the fact that your space fails to keep up with trends. To address this, ensure that you keep with the seasons and what’s considered trending. For instance, if it’s the last season of a famous TV show, then try to add decorations of the show outside and inside your store. By doing so, you’ll give customers, both new and recurring ones, a reason to keep coming back to your walk-in shop.

2. Ask help from influencers

As mentioned before, driving foot traffic to your retail store can be difficult. With this, you need to ask for some help to attract the crowd. One way to achieve this is to invite some influencers (like a TV personality or a famous YouTuber) or other experts to your store. In fact, an independent bookstore has used this strategy. As a result, they found out that experts can be considered responsible for their tremendous success.

Here are some statistics of how tapping into influencers can increase walk-ins to your shop:

  • 70% of teens rely on influencers than traditional celebrities when making a buying decision.
  • Influencer marketing helps businesses to acquire better, long-term customers.

3. Give shoppers a reason to come to your store

Despite the convenience that online shopping brings, as mentioned earlier, some people may still prefer going to a walk-in shop since they can see and touch the products. When buying clothes, for instance, most customers want to go to a physical store rather than buy one online, as it will save them the hassle of shipping back the item if it won’t fit.

The benefits of having the chance to physically see the product won’t fully suffice to persuade customers from ordering online, so what can a retail store owner do? As a start, retail marketers need to provide a good reason for their customers to visit their store. This can be in the form of a special in-store discount or a free session when they come to visit your store more than two times, for example.

Another way for you to incentivize customers is the ‘bring a friend’ scheme. All they have to do is bring someone, and the recurring customer will get a discount. Take note to advertise your deals, discounts and offerings on various channels, like social media, so you can spread the news.

4. Promote socialization

In many ways, shopping at a brick-and-mortar store is a social activity. For the shoppers that tend to choose physical stores over e-commerce, they do so because of the interaction that the former brings. They have to go into a store, and are able to converse with other people over a product.

Whether the interactions are between store staff, or other clients, it’s important to promote socialization in your walk-in shop. You can do this by getting your associates to emanate good customer support, or you can hold events and classes to connect individuals to others that enjoy your products.

5. Always remember to have good customer service

One way for your walk-in shop to increase sales is to have top notch customer service. Make sure that your company is customer focused and always shows your customers that you care about their experience.

Good customer service goes a long way for your walk-in shop to the point that it can be the reason why you can be more popular than your competition. As a result, it’s best if you train yourself and your staff in some customer service techniques. It can be as simple as greeting the customers with a smile as they walk in. In addition, ensure that every employee knows how to courteously address any customer queries or complaints.

6. Value your existing customers

Businesses usually succeed when they place importance on existing customers. This is because recurring clients already have an idea of what they should expect from your products. Don’t forget to value recurring customers with the hopes of turning them into loyal ones.

You can make your existing customers feel valued by sending them newsletters via email with information on new product launches and special events. Text notifications are great for notifying your existing client base about upcoming promotions. By doing so, your returning customers won’t only feel satisfied, but they may return to your shop, generating more revenue.

Endnote

When the economy re-opens, there’s no reason why your walk-in shop will be overshadowed by e-commerce, especially since a large percentage of customers still want to visit a brick-and-mortar store. Follow these strategies to help your business immensely. 

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