16 Marketing ideas for retail stores – Small Business Corner

Retail marketing offers a chance to grow your brand’s reach and boost sales. A good marketing campaign can make a difference for a retailer if it’s planned well and launched at the right time of year. No matter your industry or where you’re located, marketing is crucial for a retail store. If you aren’t running any campaigns now or aren’t satisfied with your current one, maybe it’s time to try out some marketing ideas.

Here are the best marketing ideas for retail stores to help you connect with customers.

Market in-store with an experience

In your store, offer a true live marketing customer experience that plays on the five senses of sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste. Think of creating the perfect environment in-store to support sales and keep your target audience comfortable and enjoying themselves.

Start an email newsletter

Get customers’ emails. Engage in email marketing if you’re not already. Reach your customers directly with tailored content and promotions. Email lists should be segmented according to where a given person is in a customer’s journey. Ensure open rates and repeat purchases are maximized.

Window displays and the entrance

Make your entrance something special. Think of cool, unique ways to present your business or a product collection. Keep it simple and minimalist. For inspiration, look at window displays from other retailers.

Product pisplays

Create unique one-of-a-kind product displays that get people talking. There are various creative ways to make product displays, from incorporating digital signage solutions to using materials like cardboard and wood. You can also use LED signage to highlight your product displays.

Leverage SEO

Search engine optimization, especially local, gets your retail store website in front of interested customers. Optimize your website, social media, and business listings with relevant keywords to improve search engine rankings on sites like Google. Maximize your online exposure to boost web traffic.

Order online and pick up in-store

Give customers the chance to shop online, purchase from your website, and schedule pick-up in-store. This will save the customer on shipping fees when buying online and getting them into your retail store.

Maximize a loyalty program

Loyalty programs attract repeat customers. Every retail store should have a loyalty program, whether a points-based system or member-only benefits and perks. These programs are highly effective at boosting lifetime customer value.

Introduce limited-time discounts

Consider what you can afford to offer flash sales, limited-time discounts, and promotions on specific items. When promoted on social media and email and tagged on to the right weekend or holiday, a retail store can sell in large numbers and create a lot of excitement around its brand.

Host in-store events

Start an events calendar and book events in-store to attract customers. These could be product launches, concerts, art exhibits, influencer meetups, workshops, or similar events. This will pull together a community at your store and draw in new customers.

Digital signage solutions

Digital signage is used often in the retail industry. It uses dynamic visuals and instant updates to communicate key info about a store, such as new product arrivals, flash sales, customer loyalty program info, and more. Digital signage is a highly versatile retail marketing tool.

Business cards

Have business cards available with your brick-and-mortar address and social media handles on them. Pass these cards out liberally to customers. Especially if you’re a new business, you want your business cards to be passed around your area.

Time-sensitive offers on social media

Post on social media about special offers today only to tap into a sense of urgency and the FOMO effect. Create excitement and encourage your followers to come down for ‘x, y, and z’ at your retail store.

Revise your brand identity

When sales are down or not where management wants them to be, retail and other industries rebrand. This often involves updating their logo, graphics, and sometimes the colour scheme while retaining the overall tone. This may be a way to stoke interest and excitement around a stagnant brand.

Run seasonal promotions

People get naturally excited about holidays and seasonal changes. Take advantage of these events. Promote special discounts for the season and lean into it with matching décor and designs. You can also implement your digital signage for promotion purposes.

Free samples of a new product

Provide free samples or free testing for a new product in-store. Whether it’s a known or unknown product, this is an opportunity to attract people, build interest around a product they can purchase, and turn your store into a hub of daily activity.

Sponsor community events

Support a local community project or event. It could be a pop-up market, artist exhibit, charity event, sports event, or something else. These events have a built-in audience that gives you instant exposure to potentially new customers.