A great store is more than just the products it sells. If you want to really increase brand loyalty, encourage more walk-in traffic, and boost sales all at once, then you need to master the art of ambiance. Encouraging customers to linger and take more time is how you can encourage impulse buys. At minimum, this helps customers see your full range of products to see what’s right for them – a must when it comes to improving brand loyalty.
To accomplish all of this, you need to create a welcoming space, and if you aren’t sure where to begin, this guide is for you:
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Your Storefront
You need a great, eye-catching storefront. This is how you’ll get that much-needed foot traffic from the street and into your store. Change up your design with the seasons to keep it in tune with the mood of your shoppers, and you’ll keep people coming in and shopping with you.
Your Layout
The layout will play a critical role in how your customers feel and, most importantly, how you can increase sales. A great way to encourage customers to explore your whole store and see everything you have for sale is to offer a hot-ticket selling point. This could be a sale, for example. Keep your sale items at the back so that customers need to go through the whole store to get to the discounted items. If they see something regularly priced that they fall in love with? Excellent.
Your Décor and Design
The décor and overall design of the space are also going to have an impact on who comes into your store. Match the décor and theme to the type of products you sell. If you’re an upscale boutique, your overall aesthetic will differ drastically from a grunge thrift store. Match the décor with the overall impression you want to give, and make it appeal to your target audience to bring your customers into your store.
The Music
The right music can actually increase sales and improve brand loyalty. Music has a powerful effect on the mood, so if you can create a welcoming atmosphere that feels upbeat, happy, and delightful, then you can not only encourage customers to stay longer, you can put them in a better mood so that they’ll be more willing to treat themselves. Keep in mind that you will need a music license to play anything in your store, but thankfully you can get the best music for retail stores with the license included by getting a business subscription to one of the top streaming services in the country.
Declutter
You do not need every single item on the racks and shelves out. In general, having two to three of each size on your racks is more than enough to make your store look full and inviting, without making customers struggle to pull out items. If pulling out a hanger causes something else to fall, then it’s too full and needs to be decluttered. Put up signs around the store that you have more sizes in the back, so they know that they can go to you if they don’t see the size in question. When you get them their size, remember to replenish the floor stock as well.
