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By Tony DeMasi, editor
uit crying about the “big guys” taking over your business. Face the
fact, in perhaps most cases, you can’t beat them. So, do the next
best thing, imitate them! Best Buy has found that the “shop-within-
a-shop” concept, something many smaller retailers, especially
gift retailers, have been doing for years, is the “latest” way to make
customers buy more.
After launching at 68 Best Buy stores in California in 2004, the company’s
customer centric platform is planned to expand to 235 to 285 stores nationally
by fiscal year-end.
Wild Oats Markets is a nationwide chain of natural and organic foods markets
in the U.S. and Canada. The company operates 111 natural foods stores in
24 states and British Columbia, Canada. It recently opened its first Wild Oats
branded store-within-a-store boutique with leading northeastern food retailer
Stop & Shop, in Plymouth, Mass. The 1,100 sq. ft. Wild Oats boutique is the
first of five planned test stores with Stop & Shop that Wild Oats will open in
Massachusetts and Connecticut.
In both cases, the “shop-within-a-shop” means more than just having related
merchandise in one area. It also means the area is staffed by specially trained
salespeople who literally know everything about the products therein. Can you
say the same about your special merchandise areas? Does each “shop” create a
tailored store experience to particular customers’ needs and expectations?
Training your staff about the merchandise is free. Ask the vendors for help!
Chances are each vendor with which you do business has a training film or a company
representative, who can visit your store and hold class on the products and
selling tips in general. Ask the vendors about fixtures, signs and other display-exhibition
items. There very well may be a selection that’s free for the asking. That’s
especially true after trade shows. Many vendors at temporary trade shows leave
behind display items that no longer serve their purposes, or may be too cumbersome
or costly to ship back. More than likely, if you can carry it out at the end of
the show, you can have it gratis. Quite a few major permanent showrooms are
redecorated twice a year, too. Again fixtures and signage are often tossed in the
trash. Like the old saying goes, “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.”
Ask. The worst that can happen is the showroom manager says no. But sometimes
a “no” isn’t final. If the showroom will not be going through changes soon, ask to
put your name on a list for being contacted when it is. If the showroom manager
offers you a fixture or item you can’t use immediately, take it anyway. As you well
know, in this business everything eventually gets used.
What about your selling staff? Are they “big store” caliber? If no, why not?
Good or bad, the answer is you. If you are not training the staff on how to sell
to the maximum, then, again, turn to vendors for help. Attend marketing and
management seminars at the trade shows, too. If you staff is less than stellar
because you didn’t recruit the right people, then change your hiring methods,
now!
Your best future employees are probably in your store frequently, but on the
other side of the counter. They’re your customers. Good customers often make
great salespeople. They already know a lot about the merchandise and, most
importantly, they’re enthusiastic about it!
Another great method of finding sensational help is
to recruit from other retailers. If you know of a super
salesperson working at a nearby store, there’s no harm
in calling the person and inquiring about hiring. The
worst that can happen is that the other person says no.
The best is that they join your team, and bring others
too. One retailer told me she did just that. Although
she has a gift shop, she was very impressed with a salesperson
in a gourmet shop at the other end of the mall.
She made the phone call, and now has a great new
employee.
If you’re uncomfortable about approaching other
stores’ employees, give them a reason to come to your
store. Offer all mall employees a discount when shopping
your store. That parade of new customers will give
you an ample selection of employee candidates.
What are you doing to maintain your best salespeople?
If you’re recruiting from other stores, there’s a
good chance other merchants are eying your best salespeople.
More money is seldom the reason an employee
jumps ship. Most often it is for better working conditions,
including being treated with respect. Other popular
reasons employees look elsewhere are:
• Dissatisfaction with potential career development.
• Ready for a new experience
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vacation and holiday benefits
Boredom and insecurity are two of the other main
reasons good employees look for different jobs. Catch
them before they fall off your payroll. Try some of these
ideas:
• Offer performance feedback and praise good
efforts and results
• Allow flexible starting times, core business hours
and flexible ending times
• Involve employees in decisions that affect their
jobs and the overall direction of the company whenever
possible
• Staff adequately so overtime is minimized for
those who don’t want it
• Provide the opportunity for career and personal
growth through training and education, challenging
assignments and more
• Communicate goals, roles and responsibilities so
people know what is expected and feel like part of the
in-crowd
• Encourage employees to have good, even best,
friends, at work.
It’s much easier and cheaper to make an existing
employee happy then it is to recruit, hire and train a
new one.
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