![\"Retail](\"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/RETAIL-ONLINE-TRAINING-728-X-90.png\")
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But how exactly can you drive footfall to your retail location?<\/span><\/p>\n To answer that, we\u2019ve compiled 10 ideas and examples for how to increase retail footfall. Go through them and try to incorporate these pointers in your retail marketing strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n Nothing keeps people away more than a stale and outdated store, so if you\u2019re looking to increase footfall, one of the first things you should do is freshen up your windows and in-store displays.<\/span><\/p>\n Give people new and relevant reasons to check out your store. You can do that by incorporating trendy and seasonal elements into your displays.<\/strong><\/p>\n If people are gearing up for the back to school season, make sure your store visuals reflect that. Or, if a particular season is in full swing, come up with relevant themes to use in your displays.<\/span><\/p>\n Take Pink Pointes Dancewear, a UK-based dance shop. A while back, Laura Watkins, the owner of the store, decided to use autumn as inspiration for her store\u2019s display.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhen I first took over running our shop the new Bloch Militare boot has just come out. It\u2019s a split sole dance shoe but looks like a boot,\u201d <\/span>she recalled.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt happened to be September and the leaves were beginning to change so I made a display with hundreds of leaves in beautiful autumnal colors and this pair of boots on top as they looked like Dr. Matens and great for stomping in piles of leaves.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n According to Laura, the effort was a success, and several people walked in complimenting it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Depending on your products and customers, you could even incorporate pop culture into your displays.<\/span><\/p>\n The jewelry retailer Alex and Ani did this really well when the famous HBO series Game of Thrones was still on the air. During the final season, Alex and Ani launched a Game of Thrones jewelry line, and heavily promoted it in-store.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In addition to having a prominent in-store display, Alex and Ani dedicated its entire window to the Game of Thrones theme and even set up special signage to draw people in.<\/span><\/p>\n Consider doing something similar in your location. When cooking up ideas for what to showcase, go beyond traditional seasons and big holidays. Instead, turn to current events and pop culture to see if you can use those themes in your shop\u2019s look and feel.<\/span><\/p>\n No matter the type of display, be sure to keep it simple and on-brand. This is particularly important for window displays, says retail consultant and expert,\u00a0Oliver Banks.<\/p>\n \u201cToo often, I see windows which are far too overloaded and are great at bamboozling customers. Blending a random product assortment, multiple messages and promotions across a blend of stickers and signage and off-brand colours and fonts lead to an assault on someone\u2019s senses.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n He continues, \u201cAltogether \u2014 it\u2019s an ultimately confusing experience before a customer has walked in the door. In turn, the footfall that you have on your street is not going to be tempted to walk over the threshold.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n The key takeaway? \u201cKeep windows simple, on brand and enticing to convert your passers-by into visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n If your shop is in a busy location filled with distracted shoppers or if people aren\u2019t stopping to look at your windows, try adding additional elements to grab their attention.<\/span><\/p>\n Our suggestion? Use signage. It\u2019s simple, affordable, and effective. The key is to choose signs that pop. To do that, you need to go beyond just sticking a \u201cSALE\u201d poster on your door or window.<\/strong><\/p>\n Like Alex and Ani (mentioned above), you could set up a sign right outside your door to advertise your latest products.\u00a0Another option is to use signs to spotlight any promotions or offers that you\u2019re running.<\/strong><\/p>\n Turn your attention to this example from Eleven Optical, an eyewear retailer in Artesia, CA. When the store was offering free lenses, it advertised the promotion using a sandwich board that was positioned perpendicular to its windows. This made the sign harder to ignore and encouraged passers-by to take another look at the store.<\/span><\/p>\n Driving foot traffic isn\u2019t easy and sometimes you need to bring in outside reinforcements to draw in the crowds.<\/span><\/p>\n One way to do this is to invite influencers or experts to your store. Many independent bookstores have used this strategy to tremendous success.\u00a0<\/span>Take Vroman\u2019s, Southern California\u2019s oldest independent bookstore. Vroman\u2019s regularly hosts book signings and events featuring different authors, and these efforts attract more visitors to its location.<\/span><\/p>\n Vroman\u2019s even found a clever way to drive book sales during these functions. While the author events are free, guests are required to purchase the author\u2019s book from Vroman\u2019s if they want a signed copy.<\/span><\/p>\n See if you can implement a similar strategy. Are there any experts or influencers that you could invite to your store? Perhaps you could team up with a local celebrity to conduct a talk or teach a class.<\/strong><\/p>\n And just like at Vroman\u2019s, there might even be monetization opportunities in these events \u2014 whether it\u2019s from VIP tickets or autograph signings.<\/strong><\/p>\n Having brand new customers walking through your doors is always exciting, but increasing footfall isn\u2019t just about driving traffic from new shoppers. You should also strive to get existing customers to come back.<\/span><\/p>\n You\u2019ll find that your current customer base is a much more profitable source of traffic because these individuals are easier to convert.<\/span><\/p>\n How can you drive traffic from existing patrons? One effective tactic is to send re-engagement messages. Tell those who haven\u2019t stopped by in a while how much you miss them, then throw in a promotion to get them to come back.<\/span><\/p>\n Have a look at this example from the dessert store Snowflakes, which sends text messages to shoppers who haven\u2019t dropped by in a while.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Another option is to send outreach messages based on the timing of the customer\u2019s last purchase. This method can be incredibly effective if you\u2019re selling consumable goods that need to be re-purchased or re-plenshished regularly.<\/span><\/p>\n The key to making this work is to figure out how often your products are re-purchased. If you\u2019re selling cosmetics, for example, you need to know how long a bottle of foundation typically lasts. From there, you can set up an outreach schedule where you contact customers to remind them to come back and repurchase.<\/strong><\/p>\n This is exactly what Sephora is doing. The cosmetics retailer sends \u201cRestock your Stash\u201d emails which prompt customers to re-order an item they\u2019ve previously bought. <\/span><\/p>\n Even better, at the bottom of the message, Sephora maps out the store closest to the shopper and encourages them to stop by in person.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Physical products are your bread and butter, and they should certainly be a focus in your business.<\/span><\/p>\n That being said, you need to remember that consumers today can order physical products from just about anywhere, thanks to online and mobile commerce. For this reason, your store needs to go beyond just selling physical products and also deliver experiences that people won\u2019t get online or on their phone.<\/span><\/p>\n As Andrew Busby, Founder and CEO at Retail Reflections puts it, retailers should avoid just \u201cselling stuff.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf your mindset is one of sell, sell, sell then you\u2019re not going to get very far nowadays,\u201d he says. <\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe sell should be secondary to the experience. Remember that a store is the physical embodiment of the brand and should be enticing and inspirational. You\u2019re selling confidence and self-esteem, not stuff. Sell a feel-good factor and the people will keep on coming back for more.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n What type of experiences should people have in your store? That depends on your business.\u00a0As we mentioned in a previous post, the right experience will depend on your store and target audience. But here are some low-hanging fruit that can give your store more zing.<\/span><\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to set up an on-site cafe, but you could start serving finger food and drinks.\u00a0<\/span>The apparel store William B, for instance, serves champagne in its stores on the weekends.<\/span><\/p>\n If it makes sense for your business, offer in-store services that make your customers\u2019 lives easier.<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re a jewelry retailer, perhaps you can offer jewelry cleaning and repairs. Sell apparel? Maybe you can make room for basic alterations.<\/span><\/p>\n Should you charge for these services? That depends on your business model, products, and margins. In some cases, it might make sense to make certain services complimentary. Most jewelers, for example, offer free jewelry cleaning.\u00a0<\/span>In other instances, it\u2019s better to charge a fee or require a purchase. At Sephora, for example, you can get a full makeover by purchasing $50 worth of products.<\/span><\/p>\n Analyze your retail market and margins to figure out the right strategy for your business.<\/span><\/p>\n Looking for more ways to level up the retail experience? Here are 8 must-try ideas<\/strong>\u00a0to ensure that your customers have a delightful time in your shop.<\/p>\n Learn More\n <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n Brick and mortar shopping, in many ways, is a social activity. People head down to retail stores with friends and family because it\u2019s fun to shop with their loved ones. In some cases, shoppers choose to visit physical stores because they want to interact with real people and have back and forth conversations about products.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n With that in mind, it\u2019s a good idea to make socialization a bigger part of your brick and mortar experience. There are a couple of ways to do this.<\/span><\/p>\n Encourage your staff to socialize with your customers. Have them go beyond the typical \u201cCan I help you?\u201d spiel and teach them to interface with your customers in more meaningful ways.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n How? Start with having <\/span>a strong greeting when people walk in<\/span>. As we mentioned previously, you can strike up conversations through:<\/span><\/p>\n Just remember that not all customers would be up for having a chat. Get a good read on them before making your approach. If you\u2019re dealing with a shopper who\u2019s \u201cjust looking\u201d or isn\u2019t in the mood to chat much, then say something like: <\/span><\/p>\n Another way to inject more socialization in your store is to run functions that bring people together. Events such as fashion shows or the occasional in-store party can help drive more foot traffic.\u00a0<\/span>Another popular option? Classes. Lululemon, for instance, has found success in holding regular yoga classes in-store.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Image credit: jencu on Flickr<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Try doing something similar. Identify a skill or task relevant to your products and launch classes or info sessions to draw people into your shop.<\/span><\/p>\n Still on the topic of social, are you encouraging your customers to share their in-store experiences on Facebook or Instagram? If not, you could be missing out traffic and sales opportunities.\u00a0<\/span>According to research from PwC<\/span>, social networks are the most influential source for finding purchase ideas, with 37% of consumers saying that they use social media to find inspiration for what to buy.<\/span><\/p>\n So, create social sharing opportunities within your store to get people to talk you up on social media. An easy way to do this is to display a branded hashtag and your store\u2019s Instagram handle in certain parts of your shop.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Many apparel retailers like to do this in their fitting rooms, but there are plenty of other opportunities. Vroman\u2019s, for instance, has stickers in its restroom mirrors which display the hashtag #lookinggood along with @vromansbookstore, the store\u2019s Instagram username.<\/span><\/p>\n Or if have ample space in your store, consider setting up an Instagram wall. Take Dandy Ice Cream, a local ice cream shop in Artesia, CA. The store has a large wall with text that reads \u201cI\u2019ll stop the world and melt with you.\u201d It\u2019s a great looking wall and people love taking photos of it.<\/span><\/p>\n It may sound counterintuitive but investing in digital marketing is one of the best things you can do to drive offline traffic. People often turn to the Internet to search and discover local business. <\/span>Industry data shows<\/span> that 46% of all Google search are seeking local information and that 88% of local business searches on mobile<\/span> lead to a call or visit to the store within 24 hours.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Needless to say, you\u2019ll want to get in front of potential customers whenever they conduct a local search that\u2019s relevant to your business.\u00a0If you haven\u2019t done so yet, set up a Google My Business profile. This allows you to create a business listing on Google, so whenever someone searches for your products or business, you\u2019ll show up in search results.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n But also remember that creating a basic Google profile won\u2019t cut it. You want to make sure that your listing catches the attention of customers and compels them to visit your shop. The way to do that is to complete your profile and add as many details as you can.\u00a0<\/span>Don\u2019t just fill out your basic contact details and call it a day. Instead, complete as many fields as you can, then upload several photos of your business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Check out the Google listing of RETROSUPERFUTURE, an eyewear store in Los Angeles. In addition to having complete contact details, the retailer has uploaded multiple photos that showcase RETROSUPERFUTURE\u2019s storefront, interiors, and products.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Not only that but the store has several positive reviews on Google, making the listing even more attractive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Try to get your Google profile to this level. Set up your Google My Business listing and beef it up by adding lots of information, uploading high-quality photos, and encouraging user reviews.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re already on Google My Business, take your listing to the next level by making your in-store inventory visible on Google.<\/p>\n Pointy (which was acquired by Google in 2020) makes this easy. You can simply integrate your POS system with Pointy\u2019s platform, and it will automatically display your available inventory on your Google My Business listing.<\/p>\n Your inventory is updated in real-time, which means customers will only see products that are currently available in-store.<\/p>\n One retailer that\u2019s implementing this well is Total Rush, a bicycle store in Richmond, Australia. In addition to having a complete Google My Business Profile, Total Rush also showcases its inventory in the \u201cSee what\u2019s in store\u201d section of its listing. This allows customers to see what\u2019s avaiable before heading to the store.<\/p>\n You know what they say: you can\u2019t improve what you don\u2019t measure. If you\u2019re looking to boost retail footfall, it\u2019s important to <\/span>know where you\u2019re at in terms of foot traffic<\/span><\/i>. How many visitors do you have per day? What\u2019s your conversion rate? Being aware of these metrics will help you determine which strategies are working and which ones should be tweaked.<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s say you\u2019ve switched up your window display. If you don\u2019t know your visitor counts before and after the change, how will you know if your efforts are working? Or, if you hosted an event but failed to track conversions, how will you determine your ROI?<\/strong><\/p>\n That\u2019s why before you implement retail footfall strategies and tactics, see to it that you have access to analytics that can help you measure your results.<\/strong> Use people counters along with your point of sale system to determine your visitor counts and conversion. Doing so will enable you to understand what\u2019s driving footfall in your retail store, which will then lead to even more foot traffic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Traffic and conversions aren\u2019t just the only metrics you should be tracking. To gauge your overall retail success, it\u2019 important to keep an eye on your revenues, margins, transactions, and customers. Vend lets you do all that through our reporting capabilities.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Francesca Nicasio is Vend’s Retail Expert and Content Strategist. She writes about trends, tips, and other cool things that enable retailers to increase sales, serve customers better, and be more awesome overall. She’s also the author of Retail Survival of the Fittest, a free eBook to help retailers future-proof their stores. Connect with her on LinkedIn, Twitter<\/a>, or Google+.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vendhq.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/increase-walkins-644x336.jpg\")
If you\u2019re a brick and mortar merchant, we\u2019re willing to bet that you\u2019re constantly cooking up ways on how to increase walk-ins in your retail store.\u00a0 After all, more visitors lead to more opportunities to drive sales, which means a higher bottom line and healthier business overall.<\/span><\/p>\n1. Keep up with the seasons \u2014 and pop culture<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Keep up with the seasons<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Consider pop culture or current events<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vendhq.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/alexani-644x434.jpg\")
<\/p>\nBonus tip: keep displays simple and on-brand<\/h3>\n
2. Use eye-grabbing signage<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vendhq.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/sevenfreelenses-644x483.jpg\")
<\/p>\n3. Invite influencers or experts\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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4. Market to existing customers\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Tell shoppers how much you miss them<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vendhq.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/IMG_3315-644x431.jpg\")
<\/p>\nBe smart about timing<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vendhq.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Sephora-restockyourstash-644x497.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vendhq.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Sephora-restock-map-644x194.png\")
<\/p>\n5. Go beyond selling products\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Serve food and drink<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vendhq.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/williamb-e1561758890592-483x644.jpg\")
<\/p>\nOffer services\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Further Reading<\/strong><\/h4>\n
6. Make it a social experience\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Get your associates to socialize with customers<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Hold classes or events<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vendhq.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/36111015572_c6eae6b7d5_z.jpg\")
<\/p>\n7. Encourage social shares and location tagging<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vendhq.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/dandy-ig-wall-644x438.jpg\")
<\/span><\/p>\n8. Convert online searches and traffic to offline footfall<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vendhq.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Screenshot-2019-06-28-15.04.39-537x644.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vendhq.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Screenshot-2019-06-28-15.05.40-644x324.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vendhq.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Screenshot-2019-06-28-15.06.09-644x538.png\")
<\/p>\n9. Showcase your in-store inventory<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vendhq.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/totalrush-241x644.png\")
<\/p>\n10. Track the right metrics to figure out how to improve<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Speaking of retail metrics\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1528013483dfdb53fd343748c2d53f66?s=100&d=mm&r=g\")
About Francesca Nicasio<\/h3>\n