The Top 11 Ways to Get People Into Your Retail Store in 2024

While e-commerce in 2024 is skyrocketing, most people still prefer to retail shop in person. Some shoppers desire the in-store shopping experience because they can see and feel the item they want to purchase in person before actually buying it. However, reports do show that online sales will reach $645 billion in 2021 which means that retail stores that solely rely on foot traffic will lose out on major sales. 

In order to ensure you aren’t left behind, you must have a balance between online sales and foot traffic. An employee management app, like Connecteam, is a perfect way to tip the scales in your favor. Without spending a ton of money, Connecteam will assist you in your day-to-day activities and help you reach your store’s sales goals. As a manager or retail shop owner, you know that having more customers in your store leads to many more opportunities to drive sales and make personal connections with shoppers, which leads to a bigger bottom line and a healthier business. 

But how can you increase foot traffic and bring more people into your store? That’s exactly what this blog answers.

The Top 11 Ways to Get People Into Your Retail Store in 2024

Take a step outside your store. Really look at it from the outside. Now answer these questions, are the windows dirty? Is the paint peeling? Is the door damaged or maybe it needs repair? 

Here’s the thing, a well-maintained storefront is crucial for drawing in customers. Customers will feel less inclined to enter, let alone purchase items, from a store that looks damaged or is in disarray. Stay on top of your maintenance tasks – cleaning windows and sweeping should be done daily. Whereas other tasks should be done every few months or years, like getting a new paint job. 

To help managers and store owners stay on top of these daily tasks, the Connecteam employee management app provides automated workflows and checklists to keep your employees on top of what needs to be done daily. 

Some of the ways store owners can automate their daily operations with Connecteam include:

• A store opening and closing checklist for employees
• Weekly summary report of sales/orders/invoices/returns
• Reporting products that may be damaged
• Expense reimbursement forms
• Cleaner checklists
• Cash reporting at the end of the day

This level of automation ensures things get done and on time so you know nothing is slipping through the cracks. With the automated checklist and workflow feature, you can make sure all daily cleaning tasks to make your shop look spiffy and clean from the outside are done – at the push of a button. 

When customers are in your store, talk to them! Engage with them. Create a more personal and interactive shopping experience so customers can gain a clear sense as to why it’s so beneficial to shop in-store rather than online. 

Here are a few ideas of how you can create a better, more personal shopping experience:

• Collect their information so you can send them newsletters or store updates
• Offer some extras or freebies
• Offer them one-on-one service
• If you have a rewards program, talk to them about it 
• Join local community events

When customers see the benefits of shopping in-store instead of online, they are far more likely to return to your store numerous times because of their positive experience. In fact, research shows that 40% of consumers are more likely to buy from retailers that go the extra mile and personalize their shopping experience.

Going off the last point, getting customers into your store means giving them a worthy experience therefore customer service has to be high on your list. From the second a customer steps foot into your retail store, they need to have superb customer service to have a superb in-store experience. It all starts and ends with customer service. 

Managers have to make sure their team knows exactly how to greet customers, how to interact, how to efficiently offer products and how to close a sale. 

And the numbers don’t lie: 

• A single happy customer will approximately tell nine friends about a brand.
• 47% of consumers will go to a competitor if they experience poor customer service. 

Managers have to take all necessary steps to ensure their team delivers exceptional customer service each and every day; when you do, you entice customers to shop in-store instead of online.

The Connecteam employee management app can also help in this arena as well. With the in-app employee training and onboarding feature you can give your employees access to information that will transform them into customer service gurus! 

Some common training and onboarding features to help shop owners include:

• POS training – so new employees can quickly learn the computer system
• Key customer service training
• Daily operations training
• Stock/visual merchandise training
• How to help customers who are “just browsing” 
• Health and safety training
• How to check for counterfeit currency

With the Connecteam employee management app, retail store owners can now manage nearly all aspects and components of their business with just a few clicks and focus on driving revenue and profit!

Use the space outside your store and create an above-average window display! Use a sandwich board to write witty and fun messages – you can highlight sales or a new product. Not only do these fun signs increase your curb appeal but it’s great to post on social media. 

Shoppers love lotteries, drawings, and contests; so you should definitely take advantage of these promotional events to boost brand awareness, let customers know what’s available in your store, or entice customers with new products. 

You can promote these events online, via email, or social media, but in order to enter and win, you must come into the store.ֿ

Tip six on how to get people into your store is a continuation of the point above. Offer a huge discount or loyalty rewards to bring customers into your shop, but note that these

in-store specials don’t always have to be money-based. For example, you can offer hands-on demos to showcase your product. 

You can spread the word by sending emails with a coupon attached. Or you can announce a flash sale (a limited-time, surprise sale) via social media or text messages. 

A fun idea for getting customers into your store can include a “selfie wall” with a fun backdrop that customers can take photos in front of. Change the backdrop now and again and be sure to add your store hashtag. 

Offer discounts to customers who post their selfies on social media and tag your store. This is a great way to promote your brand online while still requiring shoppers to come into the actual location. 

The next tip on how to increase foot traffic in a retail store is to work with local businesses. That level of cross-cooperation can bring customers to both your stores. Hang flyers or coupons in the locations of nearby businesses, and vice versa. The deal is that shoppers receive a discount at Store A if they can show a recent receipt from Store B. Chat with restaurants, bars, local shops, and so on near your retail store to create a working deal that works in both your favors. 

Consider a sidewalk sale for the whole street, this gets everyone outside in nice weather and allows all business owners to engage in conversation with potential customers. Plus, you never know how your fellow business owner can help you land a sale and vice-versa. 

If your retail store has a large window that passing shoppers can look into then make sure all your staff knows that their behavior can directly affect a customer’s decision to walk in. See, bored-looking employees are a turnoff to potential foot traffic. As managers, make sure your teams are mindful of how they look and act even if there are no shoppers inside the retail store. Keep your team looking busy and welcoming so potential shoppers are keener on walking into your store. 

As Win the Customer points out, it all starts with A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E:

A – Always greet your customers

T – Treat your customers with respect

T – Talk and chat with your customers

I – Interact with your customers in a relaxed, personal way

T – Turn up to work with a positive attitude

U – Understand your customer needs

D – Discover the impact you have around your customers

E – Excite your customers about your products

By training your staff to have a positive attitude at all times, you help them create an exceptional customer service experience at all times.

If you sell your products online then you can offer “Click and Collect” at your store as it helps get people to your physical location and can help you gain more sales. Research shows the “Click and Collect” option “combines the most convenient elements of the brick-and-mortar and e-commerce channels” but this also comes with its own set of drawbacks. 

In order for this tip to work, retail shops must have accurate and up-to-date information on inventory and stock. If this is not accurate, you can be barraged with too many orders and not enough inventory. This is where the Connecteam employee management app can help again because studies show that “sellers may need to overhaul their approach to inventory management and their supply chain to enable rapid order fulfillment”. Through the app, you can ensure all stock and inventory is accurate in real-time and you can easily implement the “Click and Collect” offers because you know what you do and don’t have in stock.

In-store retail events are becoming a great way to build a community within your company, engage with customers, and generate revenue. These events are becoming a big part of a retail store’s marketing efforts because they help build customer relationships while also increasing sales. 

The Event Marketing Institute also found that 87% of consumers purchase your store’s products after attending an in-store event. 

The most common and popular in-store retail events include launch parties, meetup groups, classes and workshops.

To Easily Increase Foot Traffic In Your Retail Store…

We hope this blog answered how to get more people into your store. By implementing a number of these tips, you are guaranteed to bring in more foot traffic and increase sales. In addition, by using an employee management app like Connecteam, you can streamline daily operations, easily and quickly train and onboard new employees, and implement new tools that will take your retail business to the next level.