Christmas is just around the corner…

Well, it’s not far off in terms of retail and it’s essential to make sure you’re ready way in advance of the Christmas shopping period. There’s a lot to plan, so here are a few pointers to get you started…

Plan your staff cover so you have enough people to look after all your customers. You don’t want to have long queues because you only have one till open, as you’ll end up with customers putting things down and walking out when they get bored of the wait. Make sure if anyone is on holiday during the Christmas period you have sufficient cover to make sure staffing levels are going to cope with the increase in customer numbers. 

Plan your products carefully, with the right seasonal products that will make great Christmas gifts and tempt customers. Make sure you’ve got enough stock to ensure you don’t run out and leave anyone disappointed. 

Give yourself a goal - take a look at last years sales figures to give yourself something to beat. How will you do this? More stock? More promotions? Put a plan together to help you meet this target.

Don’t forget to plan for your January sales too - what items will be in the sale, what displays will you have to let your customers know what items are included? Don’t forget you can customise existing displays or create new ones. 

Click here to find great new and used shelves and display units at Shelving4Shops, all at great prices!  

Making Your Convenience Store Convenient!

When you visit a convenience store, you’re often in a bit of a hurry - you might be popping in on your way home from work, trying to get round the store with a couple of kids in tow or simply doing a food shop when hungry (always dangerous!), so you want to get your food out of the door and home to eat in as short a time as possible. So what’s more frustrating than finding there’s no shopping baskets or trolleys to hand, meaning you have to balance your items in your arms, making life even more difficult and time consuming - especially if you have a child who wants to be carried too!

When considering the layout of your store, don’t forget to make space to put your baskets and trolleys. You need to ensure they are as close as possible to the door, without being in the way or creating a trip hazard. Neatly stacked baskets will encourage customers to grab one as they pass by- and having a basket encourages them to buy more as they have an easy way to carry all their goodies!

Shelving4Shops has a great range of sturdy baskets available, in blue, green, red and black. They’re all lightweight and easy to carry, with a comfortable handle which is easy to grip. The baskets all stack neatly, while Shelving4Shops also sell a basket stacker, which adds a clean, professional image to your stack of baskets- it also raises them up off the floor, making it easier to customers (particularly the elderly or disabled) to pick up. The basket stacker comes on small caster wheels, allowing you to easily and safely move around stacks of baskets. This makes it great to place by a till, so when customers empty their baskets, you can then simply wheel the stack back to the door- making your life easier, quicker and more convenient!