7 Workable Tips for Retailers to Increase Profits During the Post-COVID-19 Era(2021)

I think you will agree with me when I say:

It’s really hard to run brick and mortar store because of COVID-19.

Well, you can use the below tips to boost your sales and get more profit.

Let’s dive right in.

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TIP #1 Integrate your online and offline business

For retailers, it’s very important to link their in-stores and online shops together. The customers will have both online convenience and offline real experience.

It’s a secret to remain stable sales for retailers in the future.

With that, here are the tips:

#1.1 Build your online store

You can use Shopify.

It is much easier to build an online store and selling products.

With the powerful website and payment system from Shopify, you just need to upload products and pay some transaction fee, easy to go.

Or WordPress

Without touching a single code, you can use some popular WordPress themes and import the template pages easily, together with the WooCommerce plugin, you’ll get a nice and functional online store.

#1.2 Find the target consumers and top-selling products.

By purchasing the paid industrial report from a professional consulting company, find who are your target consumers.

Then analyze what they have in common.

And you will get what products & services are the most popular.

#1.3 Establish an offline experience store

Through online data and customer portraits, you can find more accurate store locations. And in the experience store, customers can touch your products and feel the services.

If you want to engage more meaningfully with customers, to be an experience hub, rather than a simple point of sale.

#1.4 Promote your online and offline together.

For example, put physical store pictures or videos on the online store.

This will encourage customers to experience your products, service and increase their buying confidence.

Here is a real example of jewelry retail store OMEGA.

And in physical store, the customers can follow your online store by code or or APP.

Why we say both online and offline stores are important.

Take apparel shopping for example.

You can see the below graph, most of the customers will buy clothes via online+offline.

TIP #2 Control costs and keep a healthy cash flow

As we know, controlling costs equals increased profits. And a healthy cash flow is the most basic guarantee for brick and mortar stores.

I’d like to share some ways :

#2.1 Withdraw funds. Selling unpopular products in stock by discount to withdraw funds.

#2.2 Reduce product variety and make sure the right products and in-demand items are in the store.

# 2.3 Funds support. Pay attention to the government’s support policies, and contact banks and related departments actively. You will get more money support.

TIP #3 Using social media to connect with your customers

The COVID-19 is not over, we can’t just wait.

But do everything we could to bring in sales.

This is what you do:

# 3.1 Live streams by YouTube Studio

And post the live streams by website, email, and other social media.

In this way, you will keep in touch with the current customers and attract new ones.

Take a real example, a jewelry store owner, Moriartys started live streams by Youtube studio.

Jeff Moriarty said the live streams have generated a ton of sales.

He said people need rings to engage and married.

And also other jewelry to mark some important occasions.

# 3.2 Advertising on Facebook or Linkedin

Facebook Ads

Linkedin Ads

# 3.3 Training your staff in virtual selling

Your staff should know how to make an online appointment, how to show the products and service to customers without face to face.

3 tips for you

Make a creative visual, audio, content, video. Also screen shares, e-collaboration, virtual whiteboards, customized Email, etc.
Enhance the connection with buyers by customized and personalized service.
Keep a balance between fun and professional, natural body language, and dress up as usual.

# 3.4 One-one Video Chats

You can use Zoom

or Hangouts

Now it’s necessary to allow customers to book a virtual appointment by a sales associate, and take them on a boutique video tour. Then create a shopping list and purchase items.

Burberry and MAC already took one-one video selling.

One-one video selling is particularly workable in fashion and luxury lines, such as jewelry and cosmetics. People want to have personal chats before making high-ticket purchases.

TIP #4 Stable Supply Chain

# 4.1 Keep enough High-Demand Goods

Many factories were shut down due to COVID-19, production capacity has been curbed.

The goods supply will be tight when the situation recovers.

So store owners should negotiate with suppliers for the supply of goods for the second half of the year.

We must make sure we have enough best-selling goods.

# 4.2 Contactless Delivery

Use contact-less distribution services with logistics partners.

Due to the COVID-19, “contactless delivery” is no longer a convenience but a necessity.

How it works:

Order preparation. Orders must be prepared in a contact-free environment. The paper and process should be digitized to reduce physical contact.
Notifying customers of arrival by SMS, email, or phone.
Contactless Pickups via curbside pickup, Out-of-the-door delivery, and smart locker delivery
Managing proof of delivery digitally
Sanitizing the premises regularly and ensuring that the staff working at these places are healthy.

TIP #5 Hygiene and safety shopping environment

In stores, we should take some visible safety and hygiene measures for staff and customers.

What shall we do?

# 5.1 Contact-less payment.

Such as Apple Pay

It’s necessary to have an integrated POS system across your online and offline stores.

# 5.2 Keeping customers safe in store

We should offer a safe and secure shopping environment for our customers.

With that, here are some tips

Daily store deep cleans: clean entrances, doors, handles, display showcase and disinfected with alcohol.
Store staff face masks, hand sanitizing. Provide hand sanitizers for both staff and customers.
Keep social distance. Control the number of customers in a time period to reduce the crowd。
Sanitizing the premises regularly and ensuring that the staff working at these places are healthy.

Install plexiglass barriers between staff and customers.

TIP #6 Sell your products on other channels

such as EBay

or Amazon

It could boost your sales while increasing your brand visibility.

Here is the growth of Amazon

And the GMV of EBay

TIP #7 opening a new Brick and Mortar Store

As governments work to control the epidemic and popularization of vaccines.

I believe the world will open up later this year. Looking forward to our early return to normal life.

The pent-up buying demand will be released again, retail will increase and rebound. I hope all retailers will catch the new opportunity.

Currently, it’s easier to plan for a new physical store; As it takes generally at least 2 months for a new store design and decoration, get well ready to seize the market once the epidemic is over.

# 7.1 Find a good store location

What is a good store location?

Fitable store space. Think about your business model and calculate the approximate store area you need.
Near your target customers. Find who are you target customers. Care about theirs’ average age, income and their shopping habit. And make sure the location near them.

Good transport facilities. Your customers can take the metro, bus, or streetcar to your store easily. It’s also important to have enough parking space(It should have 5 to 8 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of retail space).
Competition and neighbors. The neighbors may hurt or help your retail business. Complementary, but not competing businesses are perfect neighbors.
Good visibility. The customers can find your goods and services quickly.

# 7.2 Store design and custom display showcase

To drive sales and bring people to your store, in particular, consider investing in the store design, custom display showcases, and making your store stands out.

I’d like to show you the detailed steps, let’s take a jewelry store showcase project we made as an example:

Store layout