The pandemic saw the closure of many brick-and-mortar shops. Since communities had to quarantine to stop the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus, there was no one to do business with. To survive, other businesses had to transition to online selling. That resulted in the growth of e-commerce, which is probably the only industry that triumphed amid the pandemic.
Now we are on the final stretch of a difficult period. Vaccines are being rolled out worldwide. Soon the nightmare will be over. Thanks to herd immunity, which will happen once at least 70 percent of communities are inoculated, things can slowly go back to how they used to be. People can again venture out of their homes without worrying about their safety. That means brick-and-mortar shops will have customers to serve.
When that happens, you must be prepared. Make sure your store stands out. Accomplish the following projects to attract foot traffic to your brick-and-mortar shop.
Boost curb appeal
Your store’s curb appeal should be on top of your priorities. It is what your potential customers see first. If they do not like what they see, they will walk on and search for shops whose facade looks inviting. Do not lose customers that way.
Consider commercial landscaping to boost your curb appeal. If that is out of the question, at the very least, make sure the open space in front of your store is clean at all times.
Signage update
Perhaps the signage you have now is the same signage you had when you launched your business. After this pandemic, it is high time you update that signage. You will be surprised with how transformative installing new signage is. And it will not require you to invest a huge amount.
Work with a competent artist to design your signage. Make sure that it is inviting enough while staying true to what your brand is about. Explore out-of-the-box ideas. That is if you wish to stand out.
Elevate window display
Your window display should not be haphazardly done. It should be strategic. For starters, keep in mind the eye-level rule. That means that you should display your flagship products where customers passing by your shop will see them with ease.
Furthermore, your window display should tell a story. That story could be about your latest promotion. Or your holiday sale. But do not reveal everything all at once. Maintain a bit of mystery. Convince potential customers that there is more to know and discover once they decide to walk into your store.
Enhance the store’s layout
There is nothing more frustrating for a customer than walking into a store that is confusing to navigate. Ideally, your shop’s layout is intuitively designed. That means it follows the basic logic of movement. For example, the moment your customer walks in, they should be able to explore your shop with as little disruption as possible. No bumps on the way.
A customer who cannot find your fitting room might decide to forego a potential purchase. The same goes for a customer who cannot find where your checkout counter is.
Get lit
Your products should be seen. Your customers should not have to squint their eyes to check out the labels on your product or its corresponding price tag. With those things said, your store must be properly lighted.
Here proper lighting does not mean lighting that’s too bright. Soft or warm lighting should suffice. Consider pendant lights to accentuate your store further. They are both pretty and functional. Avoid glare by covering bulbs with decorative diffusers.
Improve the store’s ambiance
Make sure that your air conditioning is functioning as it should. Your shop should neither be too hot nor too cold. Those are enough to drive customers out.
Improve your store’s ambiance further by playing cool music. By cool we mean a playlist that is most suited to your branding. If you cater to the Gen Z crowd, a playlist with Billie Eilish and Post Malone will do the job, for example.
The prospect of our communities returning to what we are accustomed to is exciting. And it is about to happen soon. As early as now, you should already be doing essential preparations. Once COVID-19 is no more, it is going to be business as usual. And it is in your best interest to compete as aggressively as you can. After all, there is a lot to recoup. Anchor your back-to-normal business strategy in improving your brick-and-mortar store. The rest will follow.