Go Big or Go Home the Way to Go? Managing Your Rightsizing Needs
Store closing, or as we like to call it store “rightsizing,” seems to be a common phrase in the retail world (it always has been), but recently this phrase tends to refer more to big box stores and well known retailers. Thanks in part to the numerous impacts of online shopping, many stores on the ground have made the decision to re-evaluate the number of stores and/or physical footprint of their stores in an effort to reduce overhead while continuing to compete. If this is where your head is at right now, these thoughts are likely accompanied by a few others – so how can you ensure a store rightsizing project, closing or downsizing doesn’t negatively impact your brand?
Arguably the most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to rightsizing a store or downsizing is maintaining a high level of customer service throughout the entire process. If you are a major brand and just closing one location, or if you are just rightsizing to a smaller location, you are going to continue to rely on consumer purchasing for your bread and butter. This means that you absolutely cannot let customer service take a backseat during this transitional period.
Things tend to become, if not managed properly, quite disjointed during these periods, so make sure that you are well organized and deal with any problems that arise as soon as you are made aware of them. One of the most difficult things to gauge here is people support; how many employees are required during this time? Will their tasks remain the same? Who will ensure that the store remains clean and tidy and the shelves stocked as best as possible? So, should you keep those current employees just in case? Hire new employees for the short term? Consider speaking with a company that can provide you with additional, experienced staff members on short notice – they can make all the difference when it comes to ensuring high levels of customer service.
Retail merchandising should also be a crucial consideration, especially once the new store is being set up – making sure that displays are constructed properly, according to their planograms, will also ensure that issues are avoided once the new location is open and ready for business. It also saves as far as having to delegate this task to an existing employee – outsource it to a company with retail merchandising expertise and the task will be done far more quickly, and to the exact specifications of the planogram.
Don’t let a store rightsizing project ruin your reputation – customers remember! Contact Marketsupport today for more about how to keep things running smoothly throughout the entire process. Call us at 1-877-421-5081.
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