How To Transition Your Retail Store from Winter to Spring

It’s time to dust off your retail shelves and get your store ready for spring! After a long winter, customers are looking for just about anything to brighten their days. For stores that have taken the time to transition from winter to spring, this could mean more in-store traffic and more sales.

Even for those who live in warmer parts of the country, there’s excitement in the air when springtime rolls around and the days start to get longer. People typically use spring as a time to freshen up their homes and their wardrobes. Stores that offer fresh, new looks and products will reap the reward of eager shoppers who are ready to buy.

Let’s look at a few ways that you can easily make the transition between seasons by sprucing up your store for maximum traffic and conversion.

Clean: First things first: you really should clean your store. And we’re not just talking about a quick once over. Winter brings in dust, dirt, salt and other grime, and the dark days make it easy for this dirt to hide in corners and rest on displays. Use the longer days to your advantage and do a full deep clean of your store. Sweeping, mopping, and dusting every nook and cranny so that your store is a clean slate and ready for the next step.

Helpful Tip: Hold a spring cleaning after hours “party” for your staff. Provide food and drinks and allow them to wear comfy clothes. Turn on some tunes and make the cleaning process as fun as possible.

Move: Spring is the time to get rid of any leftover winter inventory. Move things off your shelves by offering discounts and promoting sales to your customers who are looking for a deal. Send out email blasts announcing the sale, and always let in-store shoppers know where to find the discount items. This is also a great time to move your displays and rearrange your store layout. Get creative and do something fresh and new with your store so that customers are delighted by a different atmosphere next time they stop in.

Helpful Tip: If you do decide to reorganize the layout of your store or move key displays, take note of your customers’ reactions and monitor your sales so you can determine if the move was a good decision or not. You can always move things back if need be.

Create: Springtime brings with it the brightest and most refreshing color palettes. Show off your new spring inventory with a creative window display. Catch customers’ attention and draw them into your store by showcasing some of your new products in your window. If your window display still looks like winter, customers will pass it by in favor of a more fun and spring oriented store.

Helpful Tip: There are many things to celebrate in the spring. If you’re having trouble creating a window display, try theming it around one of spring’s popular celebrations. Think St. Patty’s Day, Easter, Spring Break, etc.

Train: Once you have your store just how you want it, it’s time to think about your employees. Use this time to make sure your staff is adequately trained on all new products and know exactly where to find them in the store. If a particular staff member only works part time, they may not be familiar with the new displays or layout of the store, so make sure you keep them in the know.

Helpful Tip: Before the start of a new shift, have managers go over new products and key selling points, and let employees try out the new products for themselves. This small action will help your staff be better prepared to answer customer questions and feel more confident in recommending products.

Transitioning your retail environment from winter to spring doesn’t have to be difficult or costly. In fact, cleaning your store can make a world of difference to the customer and moving around existing displays makes things fresh and exciting even for staff. Take the time to implement these tips and you’ll be on your way to a spring filled with sales!

Is your store in need of some new retail displays and fixtures? How about a fun new graphic for your storefront window? BDS has all the tools you need to get your store looking fresh for spring. Contact us today to find out how we can help!