3 Tricks for New Grocery Store Owners

If you’ve recently bought or opened a grocery store, you likely have a lot going on in your head. On top of balancing products and prices, don’t forget another very important part of every trip to the store. What you’re selling brings people through the door, but a good customer experience often brings people back. Some strategic, periodic changes can be employed to keep your grocery store an appealing place for people to shop at. If you’re looking for ideas, here are some places to start.

1. Convenience

One of the biggest things you can do to make customers more receptive to buying things from your store can be improving overall convenience and ease of use. If you haven’t yet, you may think about walking through your store and trying to see things from a customer’s point of view. For instance, try out some carts: if the wheels are squeaky, stuck or broken, consider getting new polyurethane wheels for them. The cart is central to many shopping trips, and a good cart can eliminate a source of distraction for a customer who might be inclined to buy more instead.

2. Looks

The look of your store is the first impression for customers long before they ever buy a product from you. Adding new paint or finish to the inside and outside periodically can improve your store’s curb appeal. You can also improve your actual curbs, as well as sidewalks and parking lot surfaces, to make the store more attractive and easier to navigate to.

3. Layout

If you already like how your store is laid out, don’t worry about feeling like you must make big changes. Start small by upgrading shelving around your store. New shelves with bigger spaces for products can show off what you’ve got on sale and make your store feel brand new. You can also update the actual layout of your store. In that case, consider mapping out your existing layout with specific attention paid to foot traffic paths and hot spots of activity. This way, you can see which areas work and which need improvement before making changes.

A new grocery store can be an exciting opportunity, but it can also lead to a lot of things to consider. Make sure that occasional changes are on your priority list to keep things feeling fresh for regular patrons. Staying up-to-date with changes now can pay dividends later on.