Finally, you are ready to open your little store on the corner again. But the situation right now is that there could be fewer customers around because of the still ongoing pandemic. How could you make your business more attractive? It might be time to revamp your little shop. If before you hadn’t paid much attention just because you’re selling assorted stuff, now you have to get the interest of the scarce shoppers.
Small shops attract buyers because of their homey atmosphere or their promise of something unique. But luring them inside your shop is not enough. You have to convince them to buy something, anything. Here are some tips of how you could first, attract customers to come in, and second, make them feel the need to buy from your shop.
Choose a color scheme.
Your store has to look put together, in the first place. You can’t look like just another general merchandise store. The best way to do it is to have a theme with a complementing color palette. You could organize the products you’re selling by color too. Choose your colors depending on what kind of products you’re selling.
The black and white motif conveys sleekness. When you limit your products to black and white, even a beautiful black silicone bracelet on your stand would look classy. On the other hand, if you are selling novelty items, it would be nice to have a whimsical air to your shop.
Have a dress code for employees.
Your employees’ having a uniform look adds to the sophistication of your shop. Even if they’re just wearing the same color of shirt that matches your theme, the overall ambiance of your shop would feel more stylish.
If you couldn’t afford to provide them with uniforms, go for a common accessory. It may be that they would all be wearing the same apron or maybe a distinctive wristband. It’s also much easier for customers to approach them because they’d know they’re part of the staff and not another shopper.
Offer refreshments.
Even if you’re not a café and you’re not selling food and beverages, it would be nice for window shoppers to have something to drink while looking around your store. A hot pot of tea or coffee for visitors is not expensive and would be great during this winter season. Hand them out in disposable paper cups so your visitors won’t fear drinking.
There’s a psychological explanation of why people are hesitant or feel embarrassed to leave a shop without buying anything when they’ve enjoyed its hospitality. It’s their strong feeling of reciprocity. Since you’ve done something for them, they feel that they need to return the gesture even if it’s just buying a card or a pen.
Advertise with your walls.
There are shops and cafes that are sought by tourists because they look pretty in photos. You don’t need to get an interior designer for this. Instead, get an insider from your target market. If you’re selling items that are for teenagers, look for influencers in that age bracket and check out the look of the places they post. Take inspiration from them and design your shop accordingly.
Take advantage of their eagerness to go into your shop and diversify your products. Offer small things for sale that these people could buy to not feel guilty while posing in front of your walls.
Additionally, you could also make use of your storefront. Don’t just have a table and chair or a display cabinet. Create a story passersby would notice. Although since it’s outside, and they could take photos without having to buy anything from you, you’d get free advertising from their posts. Make sure your shop’s name could be seen in your designs.
Sponsor small events.
When we start functioning normally without the fear of touching shoulders with the next person to us again, your shop could have a series of events. You have a lot of time to prepare for this. Events don’t have to be limited to cafes and businesses that deal with food and beverage. Small retail stores could organize something related to what they’re selling.
If, for example, you’re selling kitchenware, have a demonstration by a local crafts expert on how to hand paint mugs or old cooking utensils.
While people have ventured out of their homes more frequently now, businesses are still struggling with the number of shoppers. It’s not just the fear of the virus, but the lockdowns had also affected a lot of people’s finances. Unless you’re selling necessities, you need to be extra appealing to convince them to shell out money for something they weren’t planning to buy.
