How can I improve my footfall in retail?

It’s one of the biggest questions in retail: how can I get more people through the door? You can buy all the shopfitting supplies under the sun, and decorate your store with eye-catching shop displays, but if people aren’t connecting with your brand, they just won’t be interested.

Let’s look at some tried-and-tested ways you can get more people in your shop. After all, once they make it through those doors, they’re more likely to buy something!

1. Stay fresh

Make sure your windows and shop displays are refreshed regularly. There should be something new every season, at minimum. But the more often you change up those displays, the more times the same person will be convinced to walk back into your shop, increasing your customer’s lifetime value. Here are some different ways to use your shop-fitting supplies to stay fresh.

• Change with the seasons: Seasonal changes are easy. Summer ranges in the summer; winter items in the winter. You can have a back-to-school theme, an Easter theme, and a Christmas theme.
• Follow trends and current events: Remember when Stranger Things had a moment? Or Squid Games? We’ve recently had Eurovision and a Coronation. These are all huge pop culture events that could easily work their way into your shop display. Get creative and tap into the mindset of your consumer – what events are likely to inspire them?
• Keep it simple: Not sure what theme to choose? Keep it simple instead. Put your best-selling items on a mannequin and put them in the window. Sometimes, simple can stand out more than an over-complicated, overwhelming shop window.

2. Use signs

If your store sits in a busy shopping mall or high street, people might not be able to see your displays through the wall of people. Use eye-catching signs to let them know exactly what you are selling and where!

Make sure your signs really stand out. A sale poster in your window isn’t good enough. You need to be creative. Dig deep into your shop fitting armourment. A sandwich board can be a great way to literally stop people in their tracks, as they have to walk around it, making it harder to ignore. Add a fun rhyme, a cheeky pun, or a memorable quote related to what you sell, and you’ll have the attention of your audience.

3. Hold an influencer event

You can reach a much wider audience by piggybacking on the popularity of others. It’s a great idea to hold a special influencer event. Invite those with large social media followings who might be interested in the products you sell.

You can then either keep it private, allowing those influencers access to your products so they can show them off on their social media channels. Or you can make it public, advertising the fact that you have a minor celebrity in store and encouraging people to come down for a selfie, an autograph, and a chance to check out your goods.

4. Encourage return custom

Of course, it’s great to have new customers. But it’s equally important to look after your loyal shopper base – they’re the ones who deserve the most attention. By continuing to market to them, you’ll increase the number of times they return to your store, and boost revenue. Here are some ways to do it.

• We miss you messages: Send text messages and emails telling your customers you miss them, along with a small discount code to encourage them back. Not only does this remind your customers that you exist, but it gives them a reason to visit again.
• Time it right: If your customer buys something that often needs replacing, for example, skincare or supplements, send them targeted messages that remind them to re-purchase. You can work out on average how often these things need replacing and send them an email a few days before with a discount code and a link to your online shop. Or directions to their nearest store.

5. Sell an experience

Chances are that your products aren’t unique. That means you need to do more to stand out from your competition – especially if they are undercutting you. And if you want people to visit your shop, rather than just buy online, you’ll really need to amp up your experience, past your shopfitting supplies.

• Add champagne to your shop: Offer customers a small glass as they wander around. Or tempt them with food samples. Not everyone will take you up on the offer, and it doesn’t have to cost much to do, but it will make everyone feel a little bit more special as they browse.
• Upsell services: Watch repairs, makeup consultation, personal shopping – not only are they an opportunity to increase your profit margin, but they can also keep customers returning again and again. What can you add to your business?

6. Talk to your customers

Shopping in-store can be a social experience for some, which makes it a bigger draw than online shopping. Capitalise on this by encouraging conversation wherever possible (and reasonable). Recognise when some customers don’t want to talk and ensure you have enough staff on hand to pay personal attention to those who crave human contact.

This is also a great opportunity to find out what your customers need and want from your business – don’t waste it!

7. Give your customers a reason to share

It’s so easy for customers to ‘check in’ on Facebook or other social media platforms, showing people that they are spending money in your store. So, give them an incentive. Offer a free gift if they do it, or a small discount on their shopping. Just make sure they prove it to you.

These ideas are easy-to-implement and require very few shop-fitting supplies to do. If you do need any help with the practical side of shop display creation, we’re only too happy to help. With many years of experience in the retail industry, there is very little that we don’t know! Send us a message and let us know what you need for your shop displays.