Now that our communities are starting to ease into more openings, I thought some retail tips and strategies to capture your returning shoppers may be helpful. I will take the next few weeks to go through an A to Z list of things for you to consider. Hope you can glean a few ideas to employ in your selling space.

A is for ATMOSPHERICSThe atmosphere inside the store is a predictor of sales performance. Does it feel welcoming? Or is it cold and aloof? Well, in majority of cases, it is your sales team that sets the tone. Do they greet everyone that walks in within a few seconds? If unable to do so, do they at least try for eye contact and a smile?  Yes, even with a mask, one can see if another person is smiling- its all in the eyes- ‘smeyezing’ as someone once coined that terminology. Do you have an atmosphere wherein your sales team encourages your customers to interact with products? One that is friendly and genial? Or is it one of ‘DO NOT TOUCH?”

At one point during the pandemic, I have seen some retailers discourage their customers from touching anything unless they have an intention of purchasing the item. I truly felt this is a strong deterrent to sales. In fact, I espouse interacting with products, encouraging shoppers to pick an item up and hold it in their hands. I know through years of retail experience, that an item that is picked up, has a 50% chance of being sold compared to one that hasn’t been touched. Just offer hand sanitizers upon entry and in several areas of your shop.

Next time you walk into your selling space, check how it feels.