Posts Tagged ‘foot traffic’

Friday Featured Product: Signs

 Friday, June 5th, 2009

On Tuesday, we talked about ways to increase foot traffic. And one of our suggestions was to improve the signage at your store. Today, we are going to go into more detail about some effective signs to increase foot traffic.

Well, one of the easiest ways to increase traffic is to increase the number of eyes that look at your store. The simplest way to do this is through signage.

The first sign you should always have is an OPEN sign. While this sounds obvious, some stores forget this crucial sign. LED open signs are our favorite option because people can see that your store is open from a distance. These signs are especially popular for stores in strip malls or near a street.

If you are in an area with high walking traffic such as a mall or town center area, sidewalk signs are extremely helpful. They are also very useful for restaurants. Our favorite is the dry erase board sidewalk sign.  These come in a-frame or spring versions. The dry erase board sign allow you to easily customize the sign without having to purchase a new sign from a printer. They are great for sales, specials, menu items, promotions and special events.

Another type of sign that is perfect for catching attention is the moving message board sign. These signs are easily customizable and their vibrant colors are guaranteed to make shoppers stop and look.

Don’t be afraid to have some fun attracting attention. Pennant strands and promotional rope lights bring some color to your store front. Tube lights and promotional beacon lights will light the way to your store.

And don’t neglect the standbys. Traditional banners and window cling signs are sure to help bring in traffic.

These signs will ultimately increase the number of eyes that look into your store. By bringing attention to your store, you can improve sales and coveted foot traffic.

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Tuesday Tip: Increasing Foot Traffic

 Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

While many of your customers plan a trip to your store, a high percentage of new customers find a store by “stopping in” while shopping for something else. By increasing the foot traffic into your store, you can raise profits and introduce your brand to a whole new customer base.

Right now, many stores are feeling the pain of the economic downturn. One thing that everyone needs is more customers in their stores. Fewer people are shopping, so you need to attract the attention of the people who are out and about shopping. So how do you increase foot traffic?

Our first suggestion would be to increase the visibility of your store. One way to do this is to feature signs and promotional lighting at the entrance. Sidewalk signs, beacon lights and banners are extremely effective for improving foot traffic.

Another way to get people in your store is through a sale. We have discussed this before, but featuring items outside your store will get people browsing. Put merchandise in a dump bin or on a rolling rack so that it can be easily transported during store hours.

Finally, for the more courageous owner, consider some sort of stunt. Liberty Tax has waving Statue of Liberty costume characters outside their store during tax season. Great Clips often has a dancing shampoo bottle on the sidewalk. While you don’t necessarily need to be that extreme, consider having one of your workers hand out fliers or carry a sign to alert other shoppers about your sale.

By increasing foot traffic into your store, you can then show off your merchandise and entice shoppers to make a purchase. Hopefully they will become frequent shoppers after that first “stop in” to your store.

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Tuesday Tip: Maximizing sales to generate profit

 Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

Sales: the ultimate necessary evil in the retail industry. But sales have value other than liquidating out of season merchandise. Sales can bring in new customers, generate serious profits and enhance the visibility of your store.

The number one way to ensure a successful sale is promotion. Now we aren’t necessarily talking about taking out a full page ad in the local paper. For larger cities, this could be cost prohibitive. But you definitely want to let your current customers and any traffic know that you are offering deals.

The first way to generate traffic to your store is by signs. Luckily, you don’t need to go get a custom printed sign every time something goes on clearance.  General “sale” signs can do the trick. Try sidewalk signs for outside your store, window clings, banners and even promotional lights. These signs will alert driving and walking traffic to take notice.

Another way to drive traffic is to feature sale items on the exterior of your store. Set up a few dump bins with folded clothing so people can browse as they pass. Then have more sales items in various areas of the store so people have to browse through the full priced items as they bargain shop.

A further way to maximize sales profits is to offer good customer discounts. As customers regularly purchase their items, ask if they would like to sign up for email offers. Then, periodically email coupons. The most effective coupons when working with a current customer is the “spend $100, get $15 off” type of coupon (amounts can vary.) Because most often, people end up spending more than the max amount in order to reach that top price.

Not only do sales bring in new customers, they allow you to move merchandise that hasn’t sold yet, clearing out room for your new lines. Often this is pretty cyclical. So think about having a sale a season, so your best customers look forward to it.

Most of all don’t be afraid to experiment with sales techniques and ideas. You will find a method that works perfectly for your store.

We need your help! Chime in and let other people know which techniques work best for your store.

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