Four tricks for effective customer flow management and increased sales
No matter what retail business you’re in, effective customer flow management offers huge benefits, with increased profits and a better customer experience that encourages return visits.
Customer flow management is about controlling the movement of visitors inside your place of business, and it begins the minute they enter the door. It involves arranging your space in such a way as to discourage crowding, preventing long queues from forming, as well as leading people to the items you want to sell. This helps to adapt a customer-centric approach that brings about a relaxed, calm atmosphere and enhances the overall experience.
The good news is that you don’t need to have a large staff to handle this. You can have effective customer flow management with a few common practices and versatile equipment.
Add barrier posts to reduce customer anxiety
Barrier posts have proven to be invaluable in retail spaces. This simple piece of equipment consists of a stainless steel post set on a wide, weighted base for stability. The top has a retractable belt fixed in that can stretch out to about two metres. This can be clipped into another post or a wall clip to form a continuous barrier. Each post has a 4-way clip at the top so you can form barriers in what ever direction required. These portable posts can be used in any set up whether it’s a public office, a fast food eatery, a supermarket or a retail establishment of any size.
Making sure that lines are moving at a good pace and customers are not getting impatient is important. To prepare for this, take into account the conditions during peak business hours and the madness of holiday shopping.
First, make sure that there is enough room to accommodate as many people as there are likely to be in the queue at any one time. Then, address one of the key reasons for queue anxiety: poorly managed queues. Setting up barrier posts is a simple way to keep lines organised, separate and with no risk of nefarious queue jumpers.
Keep customers engaged with product displays
Nobody likes standing in queues and a reliable method for reducing perceived wait time is to keep your customers engaged. Arranging product displays along the line can hold your customers’ attention and increase impulse purchases. Studies have shown that these displays encourage impulse buying by about 400%.
Have adaptable queues
Stainless steel barrier posts are not bulky and awkward. Your staff can move these posts around with ease so they can be set up wherever you anticipate a crowd to collect. Setting up a row of barrier posts can streamline any part of your set up. If you’re a supermarket with a sudden surge at the deli, or a retail store where you’re closing and opening tills, make sure you can move your barrier posts as needed.
Use signage to attract attention and increase sales
You can add ticket frames to advertise offers and new products. While they handily sit alongside barrier posts, you don’t have to limit them to your queue barriers. Use them to attract customer attention to bulk displays or bins. Have attractive displays at the ends of aisles, which have been shown to increase sales of some alcohols by up to 46%!
Freestanding ticket frame stand 800-1200, adjustable
Freestanding ticket frame stand 700mm, black
Ticket frame stand for barrier post
Ticket frame A5 in black, clear and carriers
Ticket frame A4 in black, white, green, red and carriers
Ticket frame A3 in black, white, green and carriers
Ticket frame A2 in black
Why buy barrier posts from Mills Display?
Our barrier posts are easy to store, durable and long lasting. They are made with stainless steel so they are extremely durable and can last for years. Unlike regular rope barrier posts, the retractable belts don’t get tangled. This makes the posts that much easier to store.
The pandemic has irreversibly altered a few aspects of our daily lives. Going forward, hygiene and safety will be top expectations of customers even in non-food related stores. These barrier posts are much easier to wipe down and sanitise at regular intervals that cloth ropes.
In light of the recent pandemic, effective customer flow management plays a crucial role in reducing contact between customers and ensuring adequate social distancing within your establishment. Improper management of customer flow can discourage potential customers from visiting and dissuade existing customers from returning. This can further impact your profits and negatively affect your staff’s productivity.
Despite the similarities retail stores share, every establishment sees some unique trends. To understand what works best for your retail store, study customer activity. Making decisions based on data that you collect will prove to be very effective.
Mills Display anticipates your requirements
Mills Display has amassed a comprehensive inventory of over 3000 products that can help you raise the bar for retail presentation by several notches. You can reach out to us for anything from product presentation to visual communication requirements.
Mills Display is a Kiwi owned enterprise and our local knowledge helps us to help you choose the right products for your retail needs.
We have short lead time roll outs for a whole range of products to sweeten the deal. Our experienced team works hard to assess your retail needs and set you up with products that will translate to a better customer experience. Contact us today to discuss what you need- by phone on +64 9 634 5962, email us at sales@millsdisplay.co.nz, or visit our display room at 327A Neilson Street, Penrose, Auckland.