Beyond Digital – Why Opening Your First Store Is So Hard To Do

Some businesses start in the real world and then expand their reach and their customer base online. Others start in the digital world and then have to figure out how on earth to make that work just as well out there in a retail store. These two worlds can clash, but they can also complement each other enormously. It’s all about your brand, and that is the one thing that could actually thrive more in the real world than on your website platform.
If you sell online, you can enjoy all the benefits of a global customer base. But if you have a retail outlet, your store is only going to be enjoyed by people that live and work within that region. Is it worth all the headaches of running a store? Retail design agency Design4Retail suggest that brand presence in store helps to humanise your brand. After all, you have customer service representatives there, ready to welcome people into your world and help them with their purchase decision.
Designing your retail outlet is just one part of the process of opening a store. Your staff needs to be trained and ready to represent your brand. They need to be knowledgeable about your products and services. You may also find that you need to reach out to new customers who don’t know you online. How are you going to find them, engage them and communicate with them before they ever come into the store? Your marketing approach could be quite different from the strategies you’ve been using online.
 
PR is another issue that may need to be addressed. You will likely want a launch event that could involve several promotions. Will this include a party? Do you need permissions or licenses for out-of-hours sales and events? A PR agency could help you with some of these things to ensure your event is well publicised and attended. What you need is a story or narrative. Why are you opening here and what will your store bring to the town? A physical store is so much more personal than an online ecommerce site.
A retail outlet that is well designed will have stock in store and on the shelves. Sometimes this stock is demo stock and not appropriate for sale as new items for customers. The cost of this can be difficult to swallow. You might also need to consider the risk of theft, and the additional insurances and taxes you’ll have to pay as a retail store. It could be tempting to start increasing the price tags for your products and services. Be wary of doing this too quickly or raising the cost too much. Your existing customers will notice, and they may not be happy. Can you offer loyal customers a discount?
Opening a shop in the high street or shopping centre can be expensive, and it can be hard work. But it can also support your brand, and help you develop a more personal relationship with customers. Are there financial benefits to all this hard work? If you provide a service and product your customers love, they’ll come back for more.