Cashing In: Merchandising Strategies to Increase Customer Loyalty and Engagement

As a retailer, your job involves a number of complex moving parts. Having every aspect of your store run smoothly can be a major challenge - and this doesn’t even take into consideration a plan for improvement. When it comes to customer loyalty and customer engagement, the best way to improve is by beefing up those merchandising strategies and making people even happier.

Some of these may seem like pretty common sense advice, but the reminder won’t hurt.

Firstly, start with a plan - don’t dive right into the deep end and expect results to float right to the top with you.

On the store floor, create displays that pair like items, or create a theme to encourage more interaction and sales. Take advantage of seasonal opportunities - summer is a big one and it is right around the corner! Pull on those heartstrings - create an emotional connection and consumers will feel a sense of attachment.

Experiential marketing is another great tactic, especially coming into the summer, to get customers thinking about what you are offering and to create a connection as well as to engage. For example, think about BBQ season and everything that comes with it - major upsell opportunities here.

People make a difference - you know this. Hiring the right employees, those who can demonstrate knowledge about your brand, and who display dedication and a commitment, are the ones who will be recognized by shoppers. This can help build a relationship with a customer when shopping, and encourage loyalty. That being said, when it comes to your busy season, or even those odd days that require extra staff, hiring a handful of employees might get the job done, but a merchandising company that offers people support can get the job done quickly and efficiently, so this might be an alternative to consider.

Keep the store clean. Another common sense tip, but we mean clean, organized and well stocked. Customers notice everything, really, and if they feel uncomfortable this registers and can impact their choice to return. Empty shelves have the same effect - think about the big box retailer that recently vacated Canada after just 2 years in business…

Perhaps not technically a merchandising strategy, but one that belongs on any customer engagement and customer loyalty list, is social media engagement. If customers are talking on social media, respond - never ignore a review, whether positive or negative. Engaging online shows your customers that you care and are committed and this goes a long way towards building customer loyalty.

When it comes to customer loyalty and engagement, merchandising strategies can go a long way towards improving your numbers. Want to get a plan in place? Call Storesupport today at 1 877 421 5081.

Pump it Up: 5 Merchandising Strategies to Increase Sales

No matter how you look at it, your bottom line is directly related to how you conduct your merchandising. Customers, even if unconsciously, notice things about your store that you may not realize. Sure, maybe you have a plan in place that draws the attention of some, but if it is just catered to one segment of your target market, the others are being ignored. The most successful merchandising strategies are ones that cater to a number of different consumers.

Are you still counting on a one-size-fits-all approach to merchandising? It might be time to rethink things. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Colour – Different colours elicit different emotional responses. As a result, when shopping, people make, usually unconsciously, connections and associate certain colours with certain feelings, knowledge, etc.  Here are just a few ways to use the psychology of colour:

o   Green – natural or eco-friendly products

o   Black – high quality or premium products

o   Pink – products for girls or women

o   White – pure (think laundry detergent)

o   Red – products that are romantic or exciting 

Theme – Chances are pretty good that a few weeks ago your store was decorated for the holiday season. This, like colour, helps to create an emotional connection between your shopper and your store. But don’t just take advantage of different seasonal differences or annual holidays with your displays. Create themes that bind products together. For example, when designing an endcap, perhaps think about items that work well together – this might be school lunch products or barbeque necessities. This will help entice customers and increase sales.

Eye Level – When you stage your shelves, think about who you are targeting: parents, children, men, women.  Depending on the height of your consumer, where you place your product is crucial.

Variation – Stagnant displays = stagnant sales. Every few weeks things need to change, otherwise customers will get bored. When you change displays, customers’ attention is drawn to the change, especially if it is exciting or garners an emotional or thought-provoking response. We are not talking about revamping the entire store here either - even a subtle tweak to shelving arrangement can do the trick. This helps to make the customer feel as though they are being introduced to something new.

Cleanliness – Ok, this one is more of a rule than a strategy, but it can sometimes be easy to forget how much of an impact this can have on your bottom line. Debris on the ground or displays that are not tidy can turn a customer off – so make sure that things are in good shape at all times.

Need some help implementing some of these merchandising strategies? We can help. Storesupport has the team and the resources to get your plan underway. Contact us today by calling 1-877-421-5081, or visit us online at www.storesupport.ca.