14 Retail Tips to Attract New Shoppers

With the Barracks Row streetscape improvement project nearing completion, merchants received a gentle reminder from the Main Street program to make sure their stores appear inviting to customers.

As Barracks Row in Washington, D.C., approached the end of a major streetscape improvement project, William McLeod, executive director of Barracks Row Main Street, decided it was time to remind merchants to keep up appearances.

"I developed '14 Retail Tips to Attract New Shoppers' for our newsletter," says McLeod, "so that merchants could tap into new demographics on Capitol Hill, new customers coming to 8th Street to see the streetscape, and curious eyes looking at all the new shops in the neighborhood."

1. Wash your windows at least once a week on the slowest day of the week; wash your front door daily because it is so visible.

2. Polish your brass door handle or scrub your aluminum knob weekly. First impressions matter.

3. Scrape off old stickers from windows -- Visa, MasterCard, etc. It is assumed that you take plastic in today's retail environment.

4. Remove old posters and window clutter so shoppers can see into your store. Look inviting to curious eyes.

5. Post your hours on the door so shoppers know when to come back and make a purchase.

6. Change your window displays frequently. The Gap changes its windows once a week.

7. Replace burned out light bulbs so your store looks maintained and well lit.

8. Increase the wattage of light bulbs throughout your store. Have you shopped in Benetton lately?

9. Leave your display window lights on at night to highlight your merchandise 24 hours a day. Your windows are free advertising!

10. Remove bars on your windows to show shoppers that the neighborhood is safe. Don't feel comfortable doing that yet? Move the bars inside to the back of the display window.

11. Replace your yellowed Plexiglas windows with clear glass. All the cleaning in the world won't make a difference if your windows look dingy.

12. Ask your customers what they like about the appearance of your business and what they would like to see change. Then, implement the suggestions.

13. Go on vacation. When you come back, you will have a fresh perspective. Walk through your store with a pad in hand and write down anything "you never noticed before" that should be repaired, cleaned, upgraded, or replaced.

14. Hire a part-time employee and ask what he or she would change. Or, assign your new employee to make the upgrades!