Small retail store challenges
Of course anyone can start their own retail store, there are plenty of new stores opening every single day, but with the rise of the big players such as Amazon and free next day (or same day sometimes) delivery, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with the competition and many stores are losing out because they aren’t keeping up with technology.
Customers now expect to order online, pay online, and drop into the store to collect within hours. But that being said if you’re organised and do your research, there’s no reason you can’t open your store and be successful, you have as good a chance as any!
Stand out
So the High Street and shopping as a whole has evolved and companies are recognising this. The best way to get ahead and gain a great foundation of loyal customers is to stand out from the crowd, what exactly is your USP?
It’s no longer good enough to be in a good position and have a decent product to sell, you have to stand out, by being creative, collaborating and coming up with some attention-grabbing marketing practices. Spend some money on engaging marketing campaigns and find your target audience quickly and you’ll find the efforts pay off!
Customer service above all else
Once you’ve impressed one person with your excellent timekeeping, going the extra mile with a great big smile technique you’ve impressed all their friends and family too. People are indeed more likely to complain if they aren’t happy with a service, but word of mouth is also a great marketing tool.
Getting this right from the very beginning can be a catapult to success. Just remember to make sure your staff is on board too, especially if they are the ones who will be face to face with your customers every day!
Stay organised
After everything is said and done none of this matters if you aren’t running a tight ship. You must implement policies and procedures that will mean you can get on with the job in hand, and not waste time looking for the wholesalers' details because you lost them AGAIN! Simple actions such as outsourcing your accounting and getting mail sent to the registered address for your company, can make a world of difference.
Convenience
We already mentioned that there are reasons why customers are quick to come on board when they are given the most straightforward option available. If your competitors are offering something faster and more convenient, you will lose out, so make sure you take this into consideration from the offset.
Digital
There’s no denying that digital services and social media are dominating right now, so get on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, And Instagram as soon as possible. Give your customers a real insight into the setting up of the business right through to how they collect their purchases, and you’ll get people enthused pretty quickly. There is also a need for creativity, and standing out from the crowd is essential on social media, so get your thinking cap on.
Remember that even the most successful retail stores started somewhere, so get your plans together, set up your support network and give it a good go!