Local Shop

prinzeugen

poo poo wrote: »

What offer would make you head to your local shop - like right now - first thing that comes to mind?

Ask your customers what they want you to stock. If you don't have it, get it in.

If my local shop had, say a brand of crisps that I would have to go miles for,
I would be in the shop more often.

We had a lad in Scotland visit our village with his mobile shop and he would go out his way to get stuff in stock for people.

Have you looked at how village shops have been reborn in parts of the UK? Joining with the local post office is how alot are still open.

rachaelf750

Everyone loves a completion and Facebook is an excellent way to increase awareness of your business, so my idea would be to to all shoppers who come in your shop buy something and their receipt would be put in a big barrel on public display.prize should be enticing and get the local paper their when winner is choosen, announce on social media also...,
I would pay for a big(BIG) poster for your window letting all who walks past it know they could be lucky all they have to do it buy something. On the back of this I would suggest a leaflet drop and promote the idea of parcel collections.. (Online shopping is big) and offer the competition on this leaflet aswell.

A shop I always go to when I'm heading to the seaside makes freash pizza in a turbo oven, big ques for them and yet are Lovely and convient. Could be a impulse purchase when buying from the off-licence.
I think footfall should increase and that is what a local shop needs, people.

Best if luck.

VincePP

Well it seems you are determined and you certainly don't have blinkers on.

a few suggestions (some taken from above posts)

1 - Join a business group - RGDATA?. I'm in Retail Excellence (not suited for convenience stores) and got plenty of tips over the years and they do site visits and can arrange meeting between retailers to swap suggestions.

2 - Drive around villages within 30miles or so and pop inot any similar stores and swap contact details and then have chats over email or meet up now and again to get ideas from each other.

3 - Harness the "parcel drop" business - if its not a big hassle, embrace it. But attach a nice promotional note on each parcel along the lines of "Your local store can offer a free parcel drop service, but we ask for a small share of your shopping custom on a regular basis to ensure we can stay open to continue to offer this free service" and then ask them for any ideas they have for products / services that they would like you to offer. - This in a way gives "ownership" of the local store to local people and a nice way of telling them that they need to support you.

4 - Similarly to 3, what are the profile of those picking up parcels? - What offers are attractive to them and place such offers at the "parcel collection point". this can change on different days - a friday may see wine / a bag of chocs.

5 - Fun & info. Re-print the daily weather forecast from boards weather forum - add a little yourself. Print it nicely and put it up every day on a sign board. On Friday's find out who is on the late late & graham norton, do a Ryan V Graham board - surround it by a few bottles of wine and bags of chocs / share bag crisps. €10 for bottle + bag

Dinny76

We own a small shop with a deli and are independent.

You say that people drive past you for milk. Why not try and compete on price with the local markets. It can be done. If you can get a delivery from one of the well known dairy's from the North (I dont think I can say the name of them here) Put a big sign out the front on a sandwich board with the price on it for 2 litres. That's what we did starting of. It does get footfall in.

You are probably getting hammered by the Avonmore. They screw us over but for every 2 litre we sell of avonmore we sell 6 of the other diary

Staff attitude is a big thing, if they are a bit down beat as is it is slow. They need to be greeting people very positive. Say it is busy even if is not.

If you think there is a market for coffee get a machine in and get very good coffee brand in. We have guys driving past a lot of shops just for the coffee. PM me if you would like the brand.

whipped Icecream is great for footfall and margin, older people are also great buyers of it. Machines are very expensive but will payback and worst case they hold their value if you want to sell it again. It would be a good idea to rent one for this summer. You will make money back as the margin is good and it brings in people.

I know it is annoying when you having parcels dropped of but you cant afford to loose any customers at the minute so I would live with it.

If you can get the outside updated at all it is worth trying as customers appreciate you making an effort. A lick of paint with a sign might not be as cost as much you think.

Again try and buy smart for the items that your margins are good on chocolate and drinks. Some of the wholesalers offers are great. Dont keep going to the same place all the time, you must shop around to get the bargains and you can make offers in your shop.

Use your space well around your till have the small bars, chewing gum to get people to spend that little change. Also move things around the shop. People think you are upgrading. We moved our deli counter and took down some shelves and people thought we had extended the shop. Always have the shop well stocked and looking full. Even if you fill shelves with large toilet rolls do. They are not expensive to stock, take up space and do not go out of date.

VincePP

I agree with Dinny - a lot of good ideas there too.

Certainly if you are close to Dublin, try JR Byrne oppostite Musgraves in Robinhood - a combo between them and Musgraves will see great value on confecytionery and drinks.

Budget Greetings in parkwest do the Crilly sweets - etail €1 per bag. Decent margin and big choice.

Betwen the three, you'd only need 2 hours + driving time.


Definitely cheap milk - I think you can name names on the business forum. Strathcloy is the main one doing value pricing.

Decent coffee at €2 a cup is woth stopping off for as is a proper decent creamy ice cream. (see the queue at teddys in Dunlaoghaire every summer for past 50 years!) both are things larger retailers just cannot offer.