Three Ways to Turn Your Luck Around at Retail
03.18.2016
It’s that time of year again to improve your retail display efforts. Americans will start breaking out the green clothes, stores swap out hearts for shamrocks, parades of revelers fill the streets, and rainbows show up in the sky. It’s also that time of year when brands start to see the Q1 planning pay off with sales, or fall flat like a bad beer. Sometimes that’s just the luck ‘o’ retail, and you never know what can happen even with all the planning, support, and money in the world.
So, if you’re not seeing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow by now like you had hoped, what do you do? We’ve got three quick and easy ways to turn your luck around at retail.
If you haven’t ever considered brand advocates at retail, it might be time to think again. Whether you’re a new brand on the scene just trying to gain shelf space, or a veteran industry player launching a new product, there are many benefits to working with a third party labor provider for brand advocacy. You get the flexibility of an outsourced partner, but all the control that you desire. Programs can be turnkey to meet quick deadlines, or highly customizable for your brand. The options are endless! At the end of the day, having brand advocates on the store floor allows you to interact with customers and store associates in ways that you can’t when your products are just sitting on the shelves. Not only can brand advocates influence purchase decisions and associate mindshare at the last three feet, but they’re also your eyes and ears in the store, interacting with customers and bringing you valuable insights so you can make fast, smart business decisions.
There’s nothing worse than losing a customer’s interest at the point of sale. You’d be surprised that it happens more often than not at retail, especially when a customer is interacting with a branded product demo. There’s a lot of work that goes into capturing a customer’s attention in your retail display, let alone getting them to try the demo, so why would you want the sale to end there? If you have a feeling that you’re losing out on sales, we recommend visiting your local store and testing out your displays ASAP. Is the product where it’s supposed to be? Is the demo functioning properly? Is the customer experience the same as you had envisioned? If the answer is “no” to any of these questions, then it’s time to implement an interactive display solution.
With more shoppers entering stores having already done research on the products that they want to buy, it’s imperative that store associates are not only aware of those products and their specs, but also know how to recommend attachments and close the sale. Where do you fit into all of this, you ask? With a quick training blitz, you can ensure your brand is the first one that comes to mind when a customer asks an associate, “Between this product and that product, which one would you recommend?” It’s a cost effective and quick program tactic that will get you the results you want fast.
No need to kiss a Blarney Stone to give you better luck this year! Let BDS push you farther in the black so you can start seeing some green. Contact us to start creating your custom retail display solutions today.