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"Our Target Shopper"
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Our #1 Goal is to convert 100% of the
people who visit our stores into repeat customers!
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Our Goal is to encourage our clientele to
come into the store more often and make more purchases.
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The
critical question that we want to address in this article is: How many
people visiting your store actually make a purchase again and again?
You might be surprised by the answer ( it differs from one store
to another), but far too many times a person might not make a
repeat purchase. Reasons vary, but it is our goal to change that
negative into a positive by doing the following:
- Increase Traffic into the store
- Increase the percentage of people who buy
- Increase the average minimum purchase
This may sound like a tall order, but we hope that you will read this
entire article to see if we may have some ideas that could be
beneficial for you and your business.
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What motivates our target
customer to shop at one place over another? Well, if we knew
that, we would be able to make whatever adjustments necessary to get
them into our store. Sometimes its location, convenience,
customer service or
prices. Sometimes, we may not have the product they are looking
for. Sometimes, we have the product, but not the brand they are
looking for. All of these things and more factor into a
shoppers buying decisions.
During the next few issues, we will be looking at suggestions that may
make a difference. Some fine tuning here and there may help build
the bottom line and make you a source of information that your
customers will come to rely upon.
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Merchandising
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In each store there are
basic things that we can all do to enhance our customers buying
potential. Things like:
- Sack Stuffers
- Flyers or brochures in every sack
that leaves the store. This gives you the opportunity to inform
your customer of a new product, give them a little educational
information on existing products, sale information, or non traditional
revenue events like a store sponsored seminar or health fair.
This allows you to keep in contact with 100% of your existing clientele.
- Product displays
next to the register. It's
amazing how people will ask about something in which they have no
knowledge or no intent to purchase just because it is sitting
there. Many time the questions they ask lead to additional items
in ther basket.
- Sales rack in
the back of the store. When your
customers go to the back of the store to find the sales items you have
specially priced, they have to pass everything else in the store to get
there. As customers walk to the sale
section of the store with the intent of purchasing only one sale item,
many times, they will end up finding additional product in between that
ends up in their basket. This is called "Impulse Buying" and
should be a regular part of your merchandising effort.
These are only three of things that can be done to help increase
traffic, and increase the average minimum purchase. But, there is
more that can be done.
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Added Value
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Your
customers always want to feel like you appreciate their business. Maybe
that is something that we just take for granted, but shouldn't.
Everyone likes to be told that they are appreciated.
One method of showing your appreciation is through offering an"Added
Value" item when your customer makes a purchase. For
example: Buy one, get one FREE!
It's amazing how people respond to the word "FREE". As a matter of
fact, FREE may be the most
important word you can use when dealing with your customers.
When you offer your clientele a "Buy
one get one FREE" special the customer feels like they are being
appreciated! The good thing for you is that you are still
getting your margins, but you are also building customer loyalty.
In addition, you are the beneficiary of their actions once they leave
the store. There is no advertising like "word of mouth"
advertising. Do you think that making a FREE offer might encourage your
customers to tell others about your store and the added value you are
offering?
Let me give you a real life example of this concept. Blue Stuff helped
establish their business a few years ago by offering "FREE Samples" every time a customer
bought a jar of Blue Stuff.
Customers loved it and Blue Stuff
had their clientele sharing the samples with their friends and
family. The result was new
customers! Blue Stuff
became very well
established with their pain rub by "word of mouth" advertising
encouraged by the company with FREE
Samples.
By the way, your free offer doesn't have to be FREE product. It can just as
easily be a FREE report or
health magazine, or a FREE
seminar or workshop. All of these "added value" activities can
help
generate customer loyality, increased traffic, and larger minimum
purchases.
Additionally, many stores allow each of us to be able to help our
clientele in other ways as well. Bringing in a Naturopathic
doctor or nutritional consultant or massage therapist or reflexologist
or iridologist to consult with your clients is something that you may
want to offer your customers. Their recommendations may also
lead to additional sales as well.
We are interested in your feedback. Contact us at info@myfreenewsletter.com
or call
405-285-7052.
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