We sell a lot of bulk designer sunglasses to brick-and-mortar retailers. Some of them sell sunglasses only. They buy bulk sunglasses like wayfarers, aviators, etc. and turn around to sell them in boutiques, downtown shops, and strip malls. Other customers sell sunglasses alongside hundreds of other consumer products. It is the nature of retail.
We would like to take the occasion of this post to offer you a challenge. Before we get to it, note that success impacts both your business and ours. When you sell more of the wholesale sunglasses you buy from us, we will both make money. Fair enough?
Here is the challenge: turn your retail store into a shopping destination. We have done some research and compiled the tips below. Your main goal in completing this challenge is creating a brick-and-mortar location that your core customers view as a destination worth visiting. You want them to visit your location with purpose.
Tip #1: Upgrade the Atmosphere
Whether you are selling designer sunglasses or hardware, the atmosphere is very important. Your store's atmosphere should be conducive to the products you sell and their relationship with the customers who buy them. If you do not understand this principle, imagine any DIY home improvement center. There is a reason big box DIY stores have a warehouse atmosphere to them.
Work on ways to make your store visually appealing. Make it comfortable, easy to navigate, and stocked with items that generally work well together. If you play music, it should be appropriate to your audience rather than your employees' personal tastes.
Tip #2: Upgrade the Customer Experience
A close second to atmosphere is the experience your customers have when they visit your store. Make sure your staff members are knowledgeable to a fault. Encourage them to be friendly, warm, and welcoming. Make sure they dress the part.
If you specialize in eyewear, make sure the customer experience reflects that. Otherwise, tailor customer experience to the overall nature of your store.
Tip #3: Enhance Your Product Selection
Next, enhance your product selection with things that reach beyond just the items you stock. Maybe all you sell are designer sunglasses for men and women. Fine. Enhance your product line by hosting a trunk show. Offer educational workshops that discuss fashion trends and eye health. You might even partner with a local optometrist to offer free or discounted eye exams.
Tip #4: Curate a Selection of Unique Products
Whether you focus exclusively on sunglasses or sell other things in your store, there are unique products that do not get a lot of attention but still play a role in your industry. Curate a selection of those products and then devote some marketing time to them.
The goal is to encourage customers to get a first-hand look at said products by visiting your location. Even if they never buy something from the curated collection, you are still getting them in the door. You're still exposing them to inventory they are more likely to buy.
Tip #5: Create a Customer Community
Last but not least is creating a customer community. Use everything from social media to a monthly newsletter to keep your customers in the know about all the happenings at your store. Even though you might do this digitally and online, creating a community still encourages customers to visit your brick-and-mortar location.
Turning your store into a shopping destination gives people a reason to visit. Even when they don't necessarily need a new pair of designer sunglasses, they might stop by just to look around. Every visit represents another opportunity to make a sale. That is what you're after.