A lot of retailers are more drawn to online stores, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t still a market for the physical shop. A brick-and-mortar shop offers a more personalised shopping experience, and has great appeal for those who prefer to do their shopping in person – especially in terms of clothing stores where items need to be tried on.
Here are 5 tips for setting up your retail store.
- Find the Right Location
You need your physical store to be correctly placed in order to entice the right clientele. You don’t want it to be in a location that is difficult to get to, or easily missed by shoppers. Finding the right location is crucial for driving business into your store. You should think about positioning yourself in the middle of high streets or busy shopping areas, or at the very least, close to public transport and foot traffic.
- Choose a Catchy Name
The right name can draw customers in, just by them seeing your sign. The right name should consider the following:
- It shouldn’t be too long or complex
- It should be memorable
- It should express what your business does, or what it sells
- It should have a name that hasn’t already been used or trademarked (it’s important to check this)
- It should have a name that fits with your tone of voice and business personality (if you are a quirky, informal business, choose a name that best suits these characteristics)
- Don’t try to choose a name that is too close to other, similar brands
- Choose the Right Displays
You need everything in your store on display to reflect your products in the best possible way. Not only do you need your displays to reflect your personality and brand, but they need to be the most practical in order to display your specific products effectively.
With clothing, be sure to get the right mannequins so that consumers can see what the clothes look like when they’re on. It’s particularly important to get the right mannequins suited for your clothing range, too. For example, seeking sports mannequin suppliers is important in order to create the right poses for sportswear for activities such as walking and running; and you can also use feminine and masculine mannequins to best suit your range.
Furthermore, interior design within your store is just as important as how you display your product range, so make sure your retail store is an inviting place to be aesthetically.
- Figure Out Your Employee Structure
Depending on the size and purpose of your store, you will need a certain number of employees to best fit. For smaller stores, you may only need one or two people on hand to help with purchases, whereas for large stores, you may need a team of employees to assist with retail advice, operate areas such as fitting rooms, or work in the back in a storeroom. Be sure to understand exactly what help you need.
- Plan for a Grand Opening
Grand openings can be fun opportunities to unveil your new business, and drive in more interest and foot traffic. When you’re planning a grand opening, it’s a good idea to use some form of offer or deal to entice more people in. This could be grand opening discounts – for one day only – or a deal such as ‘2 for 1’ for anyone who shops during that grand opening day. Make sure to shout about your grand opening by marketing it, both online (such as a social media announcement) and outside your store, with signage for everyone to see.