Retailers Need to Maximise Customer Experience to Survive

According to retail director at Google UK Peter Fitzgerald, retailers need to put customers first and make sure products and services are available whenever they need them. Going the extra mile for your consumers helps to improve customer experience and encourages sales, allowing your business to stay afloat in this challenging financial climate.

Does your business have a website? Are there products in your stock that you could make available to buy online? Perhaps you could offer a 'click and collect' service for local customers so they can make purchases online and collect from your store at a time that's convenient? 72% of UK customers own a smartphone and 50% use a mobile device to make purchases, so it's useful - if not essential - for at least your business details to be online. 

Following the recession, the retail industry has made slow and difficult progress and anyway that improves your business should be grabbed with both hands - in this case, making your customer experience as good as it can be. This doesn't just mean being online for web customers, it means providing excellent customer service in store, a well-presented shop with neat and tidy retail shelving, an easy layout to your store for convenient browsing, and staff who go above and beyond to make customers happy. 

There are several ways of using your shop layout and shelving to maximise sales, too, such as:

• Positioning popular and higher priced items at eye-level
• Keeping shelving neat and ordered using accessories to help
• Grouping similar items together to promote cross-purchases
• Placing dump bins and wire stacking baskets in spare areas to increase the amount of products on display
• Organising promotional end bays and seasonal displays
• Keeping your window display fresh and interesting
• Utilising all available shelving space such as with peg board shelving
• Creating a user-friendly 'flow' to your shop traffic using gondola shelving runs
• Adding fill-in products so that customers can find everything they need from your store

We have our full range of new shop shelving and accessories available online at Shelving4Shops including:

·     Gondola shelving - Many stores choose to use gondola shelving due to its versatility and the range of widths and heights that we stock mean that it is perfect for every store. This shelving can be used to create aisles throughout your store and provide ample display room.

·     Wall shelving - If you have a lot of wall space then wall shelving is an excellent way to maximise the floor space you have available. We have a range of heights and widths available to ensure you can find the perfect fit for your store.

·     Shopping baskets - Placing stacks of baskets at the front of your store makes it easier for customers to carry more items. It can also help to have stacks of baskets around the store to encourage customers to pick up more items than they originally intended. 

·     Wire stacking baskets - Using wire stacking baskets can be a great way to fill that empty space in the corner or that open floor space you have that is too small for a full bay of shelving. The versatility of these baskets make them a great addition to any store and can be moved regularly to draw customers eyes to new displays.

·     Corner shelving - The design of classic straight shelving means that often a corner is left empty or block off. The simple addition of a corner shelving unit can open up that corner and provide extra display space for products.

·     Peg board shelving and pegs - Not all products that are stocked will sit well on traditional flat shelving, pegboard shelving is an excellent alternative that can, with the simple addition of hooks, easily display hanging items.

Maximising your customer satisfaction is the main factor in keeping your sales healthy and ensuring that your store stays in business! For help planning your store layout or for assistance in choosing the right shop shelving for your needs, please call us on 01455 221512 for expert advice, visit us online at www.shelving4shops.co.uk or come and see our range of retail shelving at our Midlands showroom.