More than 90 percent of retail sales occur in brick-and-mortar stores, and DEMDACO customers are especially fond of shopping in unique gift shops where they can find meaningful presents for friends and loved ones. Here are some ideas for boosting foot traffic and getting shoppers to stay longer this holiday season.
Amenities
- Offer amenities to create a more comfortable environment where customers will enjoy spending more time.
- A fun zone with activities, books and toys will keep children occupied while parents shop.
- Offer phone charging stations.
- Create an area where shopping companions can relax. Free wi-fi and other entertainment amenities will also increase the amount of time both of them spend in your store.
- Provide refreshments such as water and coffee, or even wine (if legal); warm cookies not only smell good but keep customers from shopping on an empty stomach. Other snacks are good, too—especially if paired with a featured kitchen or home entertaining product.
Maintain an online presence
Consumers are spending more time online, and it might seem that internet sales are driving shoppers away from physical stores, but you can use the web to your advantage.
Create and maintain your Google Business Listing. Visit google.com/business to get started or make sure all information is correct. Do the same for other business listing websites such as Yelp.
Set up a simple website that showcases your catalog and allows people to browse. Doing so can lift brand awareness and foot traffic. Consumers still like to view, touch and feel physical products before purchase—especially meaningful gifts for loved ones.
Let us help you set up a Mycart online store by visiting demdacowebsites.com .
Explore social media opportunities
Use social media to your advantage. One way to do this is to use Facebook ads to incentive visits to your business with special online promotions tied to offer codes. Then, track how many people took advantage of the offer.
Not a fan of online ads? At least keep your social media accounts active with updates, interesting tidbits, featured products and promotions. To get the most of promoting DEMDACO products on social media, we created a toolkit of free image downloads to use in your social posts.
Host events
Hosting events is one of the best ways to get shoppers in your store—they offer experiences customers won’t find online or in other places. Partner with brands, experts, and artists to create engaging and memorable activities. It could be a designer showcase, a talk by a local artisan, or even a fundraiser.
This draws traffic with something unique that puts like-minded people together in a social environment. It also increases your fan-base and relationships with individuals in your community. Offer product specials and refreshments at events and be sure to promote them online and with window displays.
A fun DEMDACO product to feature and demo is the popular Kitchen Boa, a stylish and functional kitchen item. Bring a local chef to present cooking demonstrations and show how useful the Boa can be in the kitchen. Contact your TM for other DEMDACO products that are best-suited for in-store events.