It is really amazing the impact small things can have to the overall success of your dollar store start up. Who could ever imagine how dollar store sale levels can be influenced by the small things like store cleanliness, organization and even the first impression a prospective customer has as they walk through the front door. Success dictates that you don’t allow these little first impression responsibilities to slip by the wayside when you open a dollar store. They must remain ingrained as being critical and cannot be allowed to ever drop from the priority list. Read on for three of the most critical 1st impression responsibilities.
#1) Stop and look at the entry area floor. You must maintain the cleanliness of entry area floors even though there is constant traffic. Often shoppers will enter with mud, leaves, dirt and other debris attached on their shoes. All of a sudden your clean floors look like they haven’t been cleaned in months. What a poor first impression for other shoppers as they enter. Establish expectations of cashiers that this will either be handled or help will be requested to take care of the problem. Implement this expectation during the dollar store start up period of your store. Maintain the expectation after you open a dollar store.
#2) Entry door glass and surrounding windows must be spotless. If your entry door is glass, there will be a continual challenge to keep it clean. Yet removing fingerprints, smudges and assorted food, dirt, etc. is important. The same holds true for windows on both sides of all doorways. Keep them clean by routinely having an employee apply glass cleaner and then wipe them clean.
#3) Assume the customer role as you enter your store. This is a practice you should start even during your dollar store start up. What do you see as you walk through the front door? Is everything within view clean and organized? How about signage; are there attention grabbing signs within view? Are the end caps and merchandise displays in the immediate area properly filled? Overall, is the impression you receive as you enter your store the impression you want to make with your shoppers? Your dollar store sales will ultimately provide the answer.
Document exactly what you want your store to look like during and after your dollar store start up. Establish and communicate expectations regarding who performs inspections and actual cleaning and organization of this area of the store. Establish minimum frequency for the tasks. Hold those assigned the tasks accountable for the entry area appearance throughout the day. Provide feedback for a job well done. Provide coaching if things start to slip. Always remember your dollar store sales will be impacted positively or negatively by how well these tasks are performed.
To your success when you open a dollar store!
Learn how you can Start your own Dollar Store Business. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/small-business-articles/never-lose-sight-of-1st-impressions-when-you-open-a-dollar-store-1620846.html
Bob Hamilton is an entrepreneur, author, writer, business consultant and trainer.