TIPS for REtailers

Retailers
Crisis is an accelerator.
Nobody knows that better than you right now. And the disruption has hit retailers especially hard.
Crisis forces you to do things you previous thought about doing and put off.
It moves you to do things you’d never thought you’d do (like move to on line sales).
And it pushes you into massive change you never signed up for.
What’s making it more complicated is that as much as you wish things would just go back to normal, they won’t. At least not exactly as they were.
This crisis time can be looked at as an opportunity to enhance  your business. Learn to do business differently and adapt as much as possible. BOOST your online presence.
  1. Online Sales – If you don’t already, create an online sales platform, whether as a standalone offering on your existing website.(see details below)
  2. Delivery Options/Curbside Pickup – allow customers to pick up online orders at the curb or have them delivered locally. Consider creating delivery bundles to make this cost-effective. Learn-to-knit kits, craft-in-a-box, movie-watching-pjs-for-the-family, etc.
  3. Grow Your E-Mail LIst.Now is a great time to build your e-mail list to stay in contact with your customers and let them know directly what is happening in your business. Reach out and ask for e-mails.
  4. Keep customers updated on new experiences or products you'll offer when conditions improve
  5. Offer digital services and support to virtually sell, answer questions, and provide customer service
  6. Keep it lively! Offer trivia nights via livestream and provide virtual tours of your shop
  7. Themed bundle options work well: Bookstores might have mystery lovers bundles, biography-lovers bundles, kids bundles, etc. Pet stores – Create bundles of everything their pet might need for a 2 to 3-month period: dog food/treats/toy bundles, cat food/litter/catnip bundles. It’s not anything they wouldn’t buy anyway; you’re just bundling up enough to last a while. Toy stores – Create bundles for families to stay busy: game and puzzle bundles, arts and crafts bundles, construction toy bundles. Vacuum stores – Create bundles with vacuum bags and cleaning supplies to keep the house disinfected and safe.
  8. Membership Pricing – create pre-paid membership programs to spur cash flow now with a promise of future regular engagement. Wine of the month club, Knitting club, etc. Nearly any retail good can be bundled into a monthly membership option
  9. Online Forums – knitting circles, tutorials, home shopping events, story hour from the bookstore
  10. Customized Online Services – personal shopping, home design consultations, etc.
  11. Clintelling- Not sure what your customers need? Practice personal clienteling. Take a look at the Top 20% of your customers and have your employees call them up and ask what they might need – then deliver it.
  12. Promote gift cards. If you don’t have a way to sell on line, now is the time to do it.
  13. Enhance your Website-Get your website in it's best condition. a)Take really great photos of  your products. b) Get your "about us" page telling a great story about YOU- of how you started your busy and your "WHY". You want people to get emotionally bonded to your store and this is key.
  14. Get Found- Get yourself present with beautiful photos on all of the on line searches- Trip Advisor, Yelp, Google My Business, etc.
Online Sales
Developing an online marketplace has always been a sound strategy for downtown businesses hoping to grow their customer base, but it is now an essential tool for attracting home-bound customers with more time for online shopping and social media exposure. If your business is not already selling via online platforms, the following tips and links provide information to get you up and running quickly. Additional detailed instructions are available in the resources section at the end of this document.
Facebook: Product Catalog
-              Links your ecommerce store to your Facebook profile to sell directly on Facebook. Buy now and shop buttons are available to customers
-              Alternatively, buying via comment to Facebook posts and direct sales via Paypal can work as well, or a combination of online and virtual shopping sales.
Instagram: Shoppable Posts
-              When selling on Instagram, you can connect product catalog like you can on Facebook since the platforms are linked together
Selling on Social Media: A Complete Walkthrough https://sproutsocial.com/insights/topics/selling-on-social-media/