Customer Turnoffs When Opening a Dollar Store

Author: admin

25 Jan

In todays competitive marketplace it is important for those opening a dollar store to recognize what they must do to maximize dollar store sales for their store. Equally important is to recognize the mistakes that can ruin sales. In many cases mistakes arent only about losing a sale or two. They may well result in the permanent loss of customers. Even worse is the negative word-of-mouth advertising that follow bad shopping experiences. In this article I present some of the biggest customer turnoffs to avoid when opening your store. It is important to make sure none of these turn-offs exist in your store.

Hidden, poorly-signed location.

Second and third tier locations are very difficult to operate in todays economic environment. Make sure you invest the right amount of time to find the best possible location for your business. Check traffic counts, demographics of households in the surrounding area, local businesses, ease of entrance and egress from the parking area, the amount of adequate and convenient parking, costs, and all other critical considerations. Dont forget to carefully examine sign options at entrances and on the store exterior.

A dark, dingy store.

Theres nothing that makes as bad an impression as a poorly-lit store with shadows in every corner. Both insufficient artificial lighting and poor choices of paint colors contribute to this problem. Not only is this a customer turn-off, but it is also puts a damper on dollar store sales for your store. After all, it is hard to make a buying decision when it is difficult to see the dollar store merchandise you are considering.

Old, worn, stained floor covering and ceilings.

Just as the color selections you make for the walls of your store help to establish the shopping environment, so too do the floors and ceilings. Ceilings with water-damaged, stained or broken ceiling tile detract from the overall shopping environment and mood. Floors with broken or missing tiles, stained carpets or an overall worn-out look are also a negative.

Store set-up and traffic patterns.

When opening a dollar store it is important to establish a logical traffic flow for your shoppers. The arrangement of departments needs to make sense as well. Dont end up with dead-end aisles or blind corners. Make it easy for shoppers to locate and examine the dollar store merchandise you carry. Create wide aisles without wasting valuable dollar store sales area. Yet make it easy for shoppers to stop and examine the items without hindering the movement of others.

Wrong dollar store merchandise.

To build dollar store sales it is important to carry the dollar store merchandise your shoppers must have on a routine basis. Always have these items in stock and ready when your shoppers enter your store. Avoid tying up money in merchandise that doesnt sell. In addition to the core products to meet shopper needs, add hot, new selling items to the mix.

To your success when opening a dollar store!

About the Author:

Find out how you can open your own dollar store business.
Bob Hamilton is an entrepreneur, author, writer, business consultant and trainer.