The retail industry is ever-changing and always fast moving. Keep up, and there is a lot of payback, but fall behind and your store may simply fade away. The best retailers stay motivated to keep up with consumer trends and demands, although it can be a challenge at times. Competition is often high in retail, staff turnover is regular, overheads may take a large bite out of your revenue and change is happening all the time.
Don’t be discouraged! Operating a retail store is not for the faint-hearted but it can be very profitable. If you are doing it right, you are your own boss, you are making money and you have the added bonus of helping people to own what they want. Many fashion retailers are passionate about fashion, so being surrounded by things they love gives them a great deal of job satisfaction. A good retailer loves to make customers happy, and enjoys the personal connection they can have with their customers.
If you are finding retail difficult, you need to keep a positive attitude! Remember, most people forget to comment when things go right; they just complain when things go wrong. Ask your customers for feedback – you may be pleasantly surprised.
Ask your customers to give you feedback as you serve them, or get your staff to. Have feedback forms on the counter and encourage people to complete them. Ask them to comment online about the service they received from you. If you have a customer database, send them a survey asking for testimonials or constructive comments. You will find many customers will have something positive to say about your store, and this alone is motivating!
Storing customer comments is essential. Keep a file of feedback, both positive and negative, online and physically on hand. Use the positive ones on your website, on social media and on any other form of advertising. Always communicate all feedback to all staff to boost their morale, or to encourage positive change. When the staff are proactively working to make your store a better environment, they will appreciate the positive comments of customers more.
Remember that better motivation equates to a happier workplace. A pleasant environment in your shop will put customers at their ease, meaning they remain in-store longer. And, as we all know, the longer a customer is in your store the more they tend to buy.
Apex Display will help you to refresh your store and keep it up-to-date. Enquire today!
