Thick with Clutter...and I need help!

Recently, I went to one of the local sporting goods stores in my area. It's a well-known, independent, and popular store as far as I can tell. As I entered the store and began searching for the item I needed, I noted a few things:

1. In retail, clutter kills profitability. If a customer can't find what they need because they just can't cut through the merchandise clutter, you lose a sale. In this case, the merchandise selection was very good but crammed into the store. It almost overwhelmed me to the point that I had to spend too much time trying to orient myself to the store.

If you have a store that is chock full of merchandise, you might consider creating some simple but effective signage that clearly shows where each area is. Anything that helps a customer, especially one who is visiting for the first time, to easily orient themselves and FIND WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR. Don't cram merchandise for the sake of cramming for all to see.

Which brings me to my next point:

2. I spent more than a few minutes walking around the store, trying to find the item I was looking for. Clutter. Not an easy task. There was a man standing there who looked like he was doing some stocking chores. He noticed me walking around but never once offered to help me...and it wasn't clear to me that he was an employee either.

If you have a store, it might help if you at least try to identify your employees from the customers by providing them with a name tag, at a minimum. You might not want to expend the money but if you could, provide them with a 'store shirt' that clearly has your store name on it.

Even better, train your employees to ask anyone who even remotely looks like they are trying to find something if they need assistance. I've seen even the local 'big box' stores miss the mark on that one. I find employees who are moving in one direction another pass me by but never ask if I need any help. Every employee should ask any customer they see if they need any assistance, period. That goes for you the owner, if you are the employee.

Golden rule: Politely ask every customer that comes through your door if you can help them. Everytime.

If you want to differentiate yourself from the other stores, step up the level of customer service by making sure you engage every customer who walks in with a friendly smile and 'welcome' along with a tag line that asks them if you can help them in any way. It's a simple, low-cost way to make a difference. It also insures that you get every sale you deserve.