Every Retail Store Needs a Customer Counting Solution

4 Great Reasons Why Every Retail Store Needs a Customer Counting Solution

Top 4 reasons It may be possible they may not have Every Retail Store found what they were looking for or may Needs A not have had seen the value of the item, Customer or maybe simply browsing, either way Counting Solution they still represent a valuable statistic. Retail is a highly competitive industry Customer counting data allows retailers with, in the most very tight margins. A to learn more about the in-store single percent increase in the sales opportunities, not just about the sales conversion rate could bring in made. This type of information plays an hundreds of thousands of Pounds important role in a retail store’s across the portfolio. Customer understanding and growth. Retailers who counting and the data analysis has monitor their spend and better match proven to help our clients realise a cost with results are proven to weather higher return on their investment the high street demise we are currently (ROI) and drive the bottom line. seeing Understand clearly In Brief: By assessing the amount of advertising and footfall and sales during a promotional promotional activities period and in the context of what media money is spent, it is not only possible to Many retailers now use people determine whether or not it was worth counting systems to determine the the investment, but one worth repeating. effectiveness of their advertising campaigns and in-store promotions. Monitoring traffic throughout the day or over the week during sales activities provides greater understanding of what works and what doesn’t. By comparing traffic numbers to the store’s average traffic, or previous promotional activity, clearly defines the activity value and cost per additional customer. Historically most retailers have done this by keeping track of the amount of sales they make, but that is a little short-sighted. This method doesn't take into account the shoppers who respond to the advertisement by entering the store, but exit without making a purchase

Customer Service Superior customer service is the secret to improving sales – engaging shoppers until “Customer is king” is an oft-repeated they become paying customers. So by mantra, and there’s a reason for that. improving in-store customer service and Without customers, your retail engagement, you not only increase the business wouldn’t exist. It stands to average ticket price by create more reason, therefore, that how you treat customers, and you will also increase your customers has a direct impact brand loyalty. on your bottom line. Happy customers come back for more and Using a people counting system, retailers tell their friends, and that’s how your can learn a lot about their store’s success business grows. by monitoring these metrics: Greet customers as and when they • How many visitors made a walk into the shop and adapt your purchase? style of greeting to each individual (for example, mature customers may • How many didn’t? prefer a more formal greeting). Say goodbye to them when they leave • When were the peak times? the shop, thanking them and encouraging them to come back • How many employees were on soon. the shop floor during peak times? Be there when they need you… • How many during nonpeak times? If a customer needs help, they shouldn’t have to wander around all People counting is essential to improving over the shop to find it. Make sure it’s customer service. Your traditional “point obvious where you are – even if that of sale system” can only provide means saying “I’ll be around here if information on the WHAT HAPPENED, not you need any help” when they first (what could have happened) or in other enter. Otherwise, they may give up words; your potential sales opportunity. and go shop elsewhere.

Labour allocation The Results People counting systems can also help However, a number of our clients have retailers to optimise and appropriately done just the opposite, with some allocate their labour. By knowing how amazing results many shoppers typically enter your store at a specific day or time, retailers will In particular a luxury retailer found that know how many employees to schedule. increasing staffing hours during their peak traffic times increased their store Having an adequate shopper-to-staff sales by over 4%. ratio is very important during peak shopping times. It ensures that each This supports the idea that increased shopper is able to get the service and customer service brings increased support they need, thus increasing success. By increasing staffing at these selling opportunities and improving key times, these retailers were able to their in-store experience. It also gives provide more customer service and your employees an opportunity to offer focus on the shopper, which is crucial their in-store expertise. A great example to converting them into customers. of this kind of opportunity is the fitting room. Keeping your fitting room staffed with skilled employees allows them to offer advice and answer questions about the fit, size or material of a clothing item, as well as give recommendations for similar items or accessories to complete their look. For that reason, fitting rooms are a great platform for upselling and cross-selling – something that can’t be done online. Speaking of skilled employees, a people counter will also allow you to evaluate employee performance by analysing conversion and traffic rates and how they are related. These metrics can provide insight into which employees are skilled enough to be scheduled during peak times and how many employees are needed for an adequate shopper-to-staff ratio. In the past, retailers have tried to improve their store’s profitability by reducing their payroll.

Loss prevention In addition to petty shoplifting, a main concern of the modern retailer is organised retail crime – gangs who steal Millions-worth of merchandise each year and sell it online at a fraction of the true cost. A recent Organized Retail Crime (ORC) Survey reported that over 94 percent of retailers say they have been the victim of organised retail crime in the past year. For the past three years, more than 90 percent of the retailers surveyed have admitted to being victims of organised crime. 8 out of 10 believe that these types of crimes have increased over the past three years and believe they are set to rise. Security cameras simply aren’t enough to deter shoplifters. They are well aware that the are on camera. They also usually know: 1) where the cameras are located Many of these crimes occur when 2) that the cameras are watching you employees are busy helping other aerially from several feet away shoppers or when the fitting room is 3) that managers aren’t likely to watch left unattended, allowing shoplifters to several hours of recorded footage to bring several items into a room and catch one suspect. leave emptyhanded. Keeping an eye on You can’t accuse a shopper of stealing the fitting room, and more specifically or ask to check a suspected shoplifter’s checking items before the shopper bag without strong cause. You can, enters the room, is extremely important however, discourage or deter them in discouraging crime. from stealing merchandise by keeping your sales floor and fitting rooms Implementing a people counting system staffed. can ultimately increase your bottom By knowing the amount of people who line by providing you with reliable enter your store each day, you can numbers with which to optimise develop an adequate shopper-to-staff inventory, improve in-store customer ratio and assure that each customer is service & experience, control labour being attended to (or watched). costs, prevent petty theft and organised The people counting system can help retail crime, make smart business retailers to keep an adequate shopper- decisions and provide a safe enjoyable to staff ratio, especially during peak environment that keeps customers times coming back.

CONTACT DETAILS: We’re here to help CountWise European Offices Beckerings Business Park The Beckerings Park Estate Lidlington, Bedfordshire MK43 0RD Telephone: +44 (0) 1525 280 105 Web: countwise.co.uk Mail: [email protected] Intelligent customer service is the key to success