To say that the COVID-19 pandemic has done a number on brick and mortar businesses would be one of the biggest understatements of the year. About 100,000 businesses have closed down for good as a result of the pandemic—and that number is expected to grow even more in the coming months.
If you are the owner of a brick and mortar business, you are going to need to do whatever it takes to keep your business alive as we head into another challenging year for retailers. You are likely going to have to think outside the box to keep your retail business afloat in the coming year.
How can you go about doing this for your retail business? There are actually quite a few different things that you can do to ensure that your brick and mortar business is able to stay in business throughout the new year and well beyond that.
Take a look at several things that you should put at the top of your retailer to-do list as we inch closer to the new year.
Begin by Thinking About the Retail Experience You Are Providing for Customers
For years and years and years, brick and mortar businesses existed for one reason. They were in place to provide people with somewhere to go when they needed to buy certain things.
Brick and mortar businesses obviously still serve this purpose to some degree. But when people visit your business nowadays, they want to do more than just buy things from you. They also want you to provide them with a retail experience that they won't soon forget.
From the second that people walk into your store, they should be surrounded by sights, sounds, and even smells that set your brick and mortar business apart. These things are going to keep them coming back over and over again in the future. They will appreciate the way that your store makes them feel.
Make It a Point to Improve Your Customer Service
Customer service has always been important for brick and mortar businesses. The businesses that provide the best customer service have often earned better reputations than those that don't.
But in this day and age, it is even more essential than ever before for brick and mortar businesses to prioritize customer service. If you don't create a warm and welcoming environment in your business, people aren't going to bother coming to it. They are going to order whatever they need online and avoid the hassle of dealing with your poor customer service.
You yourself should reconsider the approach that you are taking to customer service. You should also speak with any employees you might have about the customer service that they are providing.
Change the Layout of Your Business to Ensure It Is Easy for Customers to Find Things
When your customers are looking for specific products in your brick and mortar business, they shouldn't have too much trouble finding them on their own. You should create a layout that allows them to sift through your products quickly without any issues.
If you are still using the same layout in your business that you were using 10 years ago, it is definitely time for a change. You should take a step back and look at your layout to see what you can do to improve it.
Simplify the Checkout Process for Your Customers
Are you forcing people to wait in long lines when they check out at your brick and mortar business? This is not going to be good for business! They would be better off ordering items online in that case rather than wasting their time standing in line.
You should make sure that you and your employees are able to keep the checkout process moving along for your customers. You can do that by offering the right number of registers in your brick and mortar business and by investing in the right equipment. This might include things like the best weight scales.
Beef Up the Digital Presence of Your Business and Use It to Your Advantage
Did you know that about one-third of small businesses still don't have a fully functioning website set up? If yours falls into this category, it is time to change that!
You can bring in more business and increase your sales by creating a website for your brick and mortar business. You might even want to turn it into a brick and mortar blend of sorts by selling things both in your store and online.
If nothing else, your business should develop a presence on social media so that you are able to connect with more customers over time. This will make it possible for you to enjoy all the brick and mortar advantages while also generating some sales online.
Ask Your Customers for Feedback and Put It to Good Use
What is it that you could be doing to make your customers' retail experience better? You should ask yourself this early and often—but you should also ask your customers as well!
Whenever possible, you should seek feedback from your customers. They will be able to shine some light on what it is that you could be doing better both now and in the future to keep them as customers.
You can read up on all the retail trends you want and try to follow them as closely as you can. But unless you are willing to take constructive criticism from your customers, you might not be able to run a successful brick and mortar business long-term.
There Is Still Room for Brick and Mortar Businesses in the Marketplace
The so-called "death of brick and mortar businesses" has been blown out of proportion in recent years. And the Coronavirus pandemic has made the future seem even worse for all the brick and mortar businesses out there. Storefronts are slipping away!
But you should know that there is still plenty of room left in the marketplace for brick and mortar businesses. The people who own these businesses just need to do a better job of reevaluating the retail experience that they are delivering to their customers.
Use the store owner tips found here to ensure your brick and mortar business enjoys stronger success. They should help you and your retailer shops get the new year off to the strongest start possible.
Check out the rest of our blog for more retailer business-related tips and tricks in the Retail section of the Bootstrap Business to help rescue your retail shop!
