If you had to name a business that has been around forever and has built a solid foundation of both income and consumer demand, it would surely be “the retail shop, or the corner shop”. These days, though, this kind of business has moved with the times, because a younger generation has taken over and brought retail shops up to date so that they fit the way people live now. If you are a shop owner in the middle of handing the business on to your children or grandchildren, it is worth knowing the five tips below for running a retail shop the modern way — the ones that will help it grow over the long term.
Tip 1: Keep working on the shopping experience
One aspect of running a retail shop that many people overlook and do not pay much attention to is keeping the shopfront looking inviting. That is not only a matter of cleaning it up so it looks tidy, but also of decorating it so it catches the eye — arranging the goods so they look worth buying and putting up sale signs to tempt people in, or running a really good promotion. All of that will draw customers’ interest and make them want to stop and buy something.
Our advice: at every important festival — Songkran, Loy Krathong, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day — a lot of people go out to buy things for a celebration. So as a retail shop owner, never forget to decorate the shopfront to match the festival, and run promotions alongside it. That will help pull customers in.
Tip 2: Create an atmosphere that makes people want to buy
You will have noticed that sellers in online marketplaces tend to use colourful images and models to draw people into buying. A retail shop can use colour and a sense of fun to catch customers’ attention in exactly the same way — laying the shop out around a decorative theme, and perhaps adding music to build an atmosphere that stirs the urge to buy and makes it easier to close the sale. This is another key tip that the younger generation likes to use to make the way the shop is run feel more modern, and it works particularly well with teenagers and working-age customers. Retail shops selling beauty products in particular should not miss the chance to put this one to use.
Our advice: the key tip for anyone running a clothing or cosmetics shop is that playing music with an upbeat rhythm alongside the goods in the shop will stir up customers’ desire to buy. Choose a track with a lively beat and it will carry customers along with the mood, keep them in the shop longer and get them spending more.
Tip 3: Manage your service well, and leave an impression
One important thing that helps customers get to know the shop, the goods and any new promotions — beyond advertising to raise awareness — is having staff who serve customers attentively, which also helps a retail business grow. So a modern retail shop owner should pay attention right from the point of hiring staff, and keep training them in service and selling technique. That way customers get accurate information about the products and promotions that genuinely suit them, which leaves an impression and gets them telling other people about you.
Our advice: did you know that good service from the staff in a shop is itself a review that plays a part in a new customer’s decision to buy? It also improves how the shop is seen. The quality of your service is therefore something anyone running a shop should always be paying attention to.
Tip 4: A membership scheme can lift sales
Another important tip for running a shop, and one that pays off in the future, is setting up a membership scheme. It would be fair to call it one of the strategies that can lift both sales and profit, as well as attracting new customers. A membership scheme also builds interest among customers, whether through loyalty points that can be redeemed for a reward or a discount, or by sending important news to members only. These are the sorts of activities that keep customers satisfied, involved and genuinely attached to the business.
Our advice: a membership card is also the starting point for turning a passing customer into a regular. So do not forget to run other activities alongside it, whether new promotions or prizes available only to members. That keeps the interaction between the business and its customers going steadily, which in turn brings them back to buy and use your services again.
Tip 5: Work more efficiently with a POS shop-management system
The last tip is to bring new technology into the retail or corner shop, such as a POS shop-management system. It makes selling goods and services quick and convenient, and accurate with it: you can check sales and the shop’s various costs in real time, adjust the system to suit how you want to run the shop, and — importantly — analyse customer data so that you can improve and offer exactly what your customers want in future.
Our advice: we would recommend Qashier’s POS, a complete retail shop-management system of genuinely world-class quality. It is designed to suit every kind of shop: you can set the POS terminal up and start selling within seconds, and manage a great deal from it — taking orders, accepting payment, printing receipts and viewing the shop’s sales reports. And if you run into a problem using it, we have a team on hand to help quickly, so no sale is ever interrupted.
Qashier’s POS shop-management system suits restaurants, drinks outlets, beauty salons and retail shops alike. It is a tool that comes with a wide range of features to make the work easier, and once it is installed it is ready to use straight away. It is a thoroughly modern shop-management system that helps you run the shop efficiently. If you are interested in the product and want to push your shop forward, you can ask us for more information on Line Official: @qashier.th or call 02-506-1934