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Newsletter #747: The “Get Them in the Store” Issue

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Everyone could use a little more foot traffic through their store. Try making your location a regular destination for customers with these three tips:

1> Offer basic repairs
2> Have a weekly giveaway
3> Host a class
4> Check it out: NASA’s Image of the Day

1> Offer basic repairs

Keep your customers stopping by your store by offering basic service and repair assistance. If the battery in your U.S. Cellular phone is dead, for example, you can go into any of their stores and swap it for a fresh one, for free. It’s great for customers because they’re saved the hassle of trying to find places to charge their phones when they’re on the go, and it’s great for U.S. Cellular because it gives them another opportunity to show folks their new lineup of phones and plans. Even if it’s not practical to offer full-service repairs in every location, you can keep customers stopping in by offering simple repairs or replacement parts right from your store.

The Lesson: If the only way for a customer to get basic repairs is to go through the mail, you’re missing a chance for some quality, in-person interaction.

2> Have a weekly giveaway

Encourage customers to keep coming back by offering a little freebie each week. Starbucks does it with their weekly voucher for a song from iTunes they’ve selected. A restaurant could put a twist on this theme by changing up the free taste test each week, as could a clothing retailer offer a simple giveaway — like a sock (just one) — that changed every week.

The Lesson: A little freebie that you change up frequently can be an excellent word of mouth topic and just the extra incentive your customers need to stop in.

3> Host a class

Help your location evolve from just another store to a place where people go to learn and meet friends by hosting a few educational classes. Lucy Activewear offers a great example with their “Fitness Fridays” that encourage Yoga enthusiasts to meet in their stores for free pro consultations, classes, and inspiration for achieving fitness goals. The sessions bring in all levels of Yoga folks — the beginners, the veterans, the instructors — making Lucy locations more than just a place to buy stuff, but also a place to learn and meet others who love Yoga.

The Lesson: Hosting a few training classes is an excellent way to give both customers and non-customers a reason to regularly visit your store.

Learn More: Lucy.com

4> Check it out: NASA’s Image of the Day

If you’re at all into space, technology, or amazing photography, be sure to check out NASA’s Image of the Day. You’ll find some amazing images of geographic formations, cities, and natural disasters from high above the Earth’s surface.

Check it out: NASA’s Image of the Day

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