Contributed post
Many of us at some point consider opening our own store. We think about selling products that we’ve created ourselves or things that we’ve bought at wholesale. The idea of opening your own store is exciting, mainly because it’s yours. Your store, that you can run the way that you want to. But, for many of us, it’s just a pipedream. We’re put off by the idea of opening a store when there’s so much competition out there.
Even renting a small out of town premise can be expensive when you add staff, stock and running costs, so how are you meant to make money when there’s so much competition? As a small retail business, you are competing against larger chains, departments store, and massive online retailers. You could even face competition from smaller ecommerce stores, whose lack of overheads allow them to offer much better deals. How do you compete while still charging enough to make money and grow your business? Let’s take a look.
Customer Service
Customer service is crucial. No business, on or offline, big or small, will do well without its customers. Sure, products and process are important, but customer service goes a long way to making a great impression, pleasing customers and building lasting relationships. And, it doesn’t cost a penny.
It’s all about remembering the importance of the customer and going the extra mile for them. Give them your time and attention. Drop everything else to speak to your customers. Get to know them, remember them and go out of your way to help them when they need it. Your loyal customers are the backbone of your business and worth keeping.
You can do this by running loyalty schemes and giving regular customers special offers and discounts, but you’ll probably find that giving them your time and attention is more important. Make an effort to speak with them and remember what they say. Treat these relationships like you would friends, build them up over time and learn more about them.
Make it Easy
Shopping shouldn’t be stressful. People shop online for the ease and convenience. They like to avoid crowds and complete their purchase quickly and without stress. The last thing that they want is to have to walk into a confusing shop, where it’s too dark and crowded to look at the products, what they need isn’t on display, the tills are hidden, there are no mirrors or fitting rooms, or things are displayed entirely randomly.
Make visiting your store leisurely. Walk around as a customer thinking about things like lighting, temperature, music volume, displays, layout and positioning and try to complete a purchase as a customer would. Do a full walkthrough now and then to make sure standards are still being met, and things are still easy for your customers.
Offer More
Visiting a shop can be about more than shopping. It can become an experience. Something that people look forward to and enjoy. People don’t just go to Ikea to buy a bookshelf. They go to walk around the showrooms, get inspiration for their own home and have a cup of coffee and a slice of cake. They then leave having bought much more than they went in for.
In a small store, customer service is a huge part of this. Young mums at home alone might pop in for a chat, just to get out of the house, just for someone to talk to. Other groups are the same. With excellent customer service, you can make a real difference to someone’s life. But, you can also offer more. If you sell clothes and have fitting rooms, you could add comfortable sofas, books and magazines and Bean to Cup Coffee Machines so that customers and companions can have a drink and a rest while they wait. You could even add a full coffee shop or bar and some bookshelves.
Tell Your Story
Every brand has a story. Even if it’s never been communicated, you have one. Think about why you started up. About what you wanted to be as a kid and about your ideal customers. What are you trying to do with your business? Who do you want to help and what do you want to get out of it? Are you fulfilling a dream by doing something for yourself? This is your brand story. Write it down, get it printed on your marketing materials and even in your store and communicate it to your customers. This will help you to make connections and help them feel like they are part of something special.