The number of consumers who purchase online crossed 100 million by 2017, with the e-retail market likely jumping over 65% in 2018.
Online shoppers with a base age of 18 are becoming more involved with e-commerce in their early teens.
With such huge numbers associated with online purchasing, how does a small business owner get all these young customers to buy from a physical brick and mortar store?
Let’s find out!
5 Ways For Small Businesses To Get Younger Customers To Buy From Them And Not Online!
Here are 5 ways to attract the younger generation to purchase from you, as against buying online!
1. Looks Matter:
The best way to attract younger audiences is to really work on how your store looks! Other than keeping it well merchandised and well stocked, make sure you have eye-catchy displays that would lure them right through that door.
The overall atmosphere of a store is one very important aspect of the physical environment, which sadly many store owners fail to realise. Creating a soothing shopping experience should be the number one priority of business owners who wish to pull in more audience.
Don’t underestimate the power of a well-designed layout – well-lit areas, charming colours and stacked shelves at eye-level, all of which are factors that will somehow influence the purchasing decisions of your customers.
2. Take Advantage of Social Media:
The younger generation prefers to research an item online before going to a store. Even if they are not buying online, they will surely hit their social channels to research purchases and see what is trending. Creating your profiles on Facebook, Instagram and updating them regularly with what’s new in your store, will work wonders.
Put up pictures of your latest merchandise and encourage your customers to share their purchases with you using a specific hashtag.
This can be really helpful to help you trend high on social media and get everyone talking about your brand.
Give them more reasons to visit your store such as in-store discounts, loyalty rewards, holding seasonal sales etc.
Since everybody is on social media, utilise it effectively and divert the ‘always online’ generation to your store for their next shopping day out!
3. Train Your Staff Well:
The importance of a well-trained and well-mannered staff cannot be stressed more. There have been far too many cases of poor in-store experiences where shoppers have faced bad service, and switched to online buying for the same brand, to avoid unpleasant situations in future.
Younger customers take positive and negative reviews straight to the web. Positive reviews can amplify the brand image in a good way while negative reviews can do the exact opposite.
Over half of the young people aged 18 to 34 years of age say they trust online reviews more than the opinions of friends and family.
Since your employees are the ones representing your store’s image, it is important that they deliver outstanding customer service and professionalism.
4. Socially Responsible Brands:
Youngsters today are taking an active part and are increasingly concerned about environmental and social issues. If a store or a brand coincides with the cause they believe in, they would be really interested to visit you often and spread the word about your brand.
For example, Salman Khan supported ‘Being Human’ brand has all the monies going to their non-profitable charitable trust which provides financial support for healthcare and primary education. As of October 2017, Being Human has a presence in 15 countries and over 600 selling points, with more than 458 points of sale in India. It clearly states how association with a social cause connects the youth emotionally and draws them towards store purchases.
Start small and tie up with a genuine NGO with a percentage of your profits going to charity. The NGO should be supporting a pressing issue and should use funds effectively for the betterment of the society.
5. Make It Fun:
If you want younger customers to come out of their comfort zone of shopping online, which factor singles out in helping you achieve that?
Create a positive atmosphere which is contrasting to the dull online shopping experience of endless scrolling and adding to cart. Find your exclusivity and build upon it. That will surely help more in-store visits by your customers.
Arrange activities like giving away a free gift to the 50th customer of the day. Lots of cafes stock on lovely books that are a great way to lure in customers, so that they can sip on their favourite coffee while indulging in a good read.
All in all offer a great experience to your younger customers so that they have a fear of missing out on something good, if they simply pick the same stuff up online, instead of first paying a visit to your store.
Get in touch with Gromor to expand your store with the help of an unsecured loan today!
