For retailers without the time, budget, or staff resources to participate in offsite events, engaging with new customers face-to-face can feel like a bit of an impossibility.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why today we\u2019re exploring a range of ideas for holding professional, engaging, and memorable events within a retail store environment, sharing our tips on everything from maximizing attendance and taking advantage of the space available to encouraging audience interaction and executing an effective follow-up.<\/p>\n
Providing remarkable customer service is critical to retail success, especially in an age where customers can shop online and on mobile, so getting to know your target audience is essential.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to define which demographics your event will target, from age group and profession to income, educational level, and gender. Identifying these things will help you decide on the nature of your event and ensure your audience is fully engaged throughout.<\/p>\n
One way to ensure interest is to identify any common hobbies or activities that your customers like to engage in. This will help in tailoring your content to what they are passionate about or want to learn about, which will make it easier to figure out the theme and structure of your event.<\/p>\n
After you\u2019ve turned to your customers and established who you\u2019re catering to and the activities they enjoy, the next step in executing an in-store event is to look at previous in-store events that you\u2019ve organized. This will allow you to determine which ones were a hit, which ones didn\u2019t generate much steam, and \u2013 the most important part \u2013 why this was, helping you plan for your upcoming event. Alternatively, if you don\u2019t have much experience, do some research on your competitors, work out what made their events successful, and find ways to incorporate those elements into your own functions.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t forget to take into consideration the season and the time of year when you\u2019re planning to run the event. For example, if you\u2019re throwing it in February, you may want to consider incorporating Valentine\u2019s Day. Incorporating a holiday theme is one way to make your event easily accessible and appealing to a wider audience\u2014by jumping on a theme everyone can get on board with.<\/p>\n
Figure out your finances early to avoid overspending on the event or running out of funds when you\u2019re about to launch. Think about what you\u2019ll need to make your event successful, including inventory, staff, fixtures, marketing materials, and more, to make your budget as accurate as possible. If you\u2019re scheduling the event during opening hours, how will this affect regular revenue? Can you afford to put on an event once the store is closed, or will the extra expense make this impractical? These are all things to think about.<\/p>\n
One way to ensure your budget covers everything is to add 10\u201320% to the figure (depending on what you can stretch to) to give your budget some wiggle room. It might come in handy in the event of any unforeseen hiccups further down the line \u2013 meaning that a small overspend now could save you big come event day.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, the turnout at your event is dependent on how well you market it, so it\u2019s worth your time and resources \u2013 and as mentioned above, tailoring your marketing strategies to your customer is crucial.<\/p>\n
If you already have a loyal online following, consider saving on paper by sending email invitations or publishing social media posts to create awareness of your event in a sustainable way, via an online system<\/a>. Depending on your audience, putting out banners in front of the store or handing out point of purchase flyers could also be beneficial. In some cases, calling your customers to invite them personally may be more worthwhile. It\u2019s all about drumming up enough publicity to ensure footfall at your event.<\/p>\n One of the most important aims of your event, alongside getting people into the store, is of course for your customers to buy your product.<\/p>\nShowcasing your product<\/h2>\n