Five marketing tricks to increase store traffic

“Catching up traffic is a simple matter,” such offensive words are sometimes heard by marketers from store managers and higher authorities. Meanwhile, it’s very difficult, and, frankly, ungrateful, to spectacularly, but at the same time gently and unobtrusively, attract customers to a retail store. No matter how many people come in, if the conversion and sales are low, the marketing specialist will not get any praise from the boss. Nevertheless, it is necessary to deal with the traffic of visitors, and professionally and regularly, and not from time to time, to carry out this painstaking work every day, because, in the end, the quantity will surely turn into quality. The main thing in this business is to carefully analyze all the factors that can affect traffic (increase or decrease it), develop a strategy and have a little patience. Introducing 5 marketing techniques that drive increased traffic in shoe retail.

Promotion of a new collection

The meaning of this marketing strategy is to promote the hot trends of the season. In the autumn-winter season-2016 / 17, it can be retro-style sneakers, high boots, boots, stocking boots. And there must be some kind of “message” for your target audience. For example, the American DSW shoe network, using social networks, is trying to convey to its customers the idea that anyone can wear trending clothes. “We want to show that fashion trends are relevant for people of any age and any type of figure. Some shoppers look at the fashion boots this season with a startle, and we try to convey to them that everyone can wear such boots! ”Says DSW Marketing Director Amy Stevenson. The American shoe retailer does this by posting relevant videos in their communities

Everyone loves parties, and your customers are no exception! To increase traffic and create a pleasant atmosphere in stores, you can conduct various promotional events, including in partnership with key suppliers: music concerts, fairs, festivals or, as in the case of DSW, an action supported by Converse, when customers could participate in the creation of design your sneakers. Today, large shopping centers involve their tenants in holding large-scale holidays for buyers, and this can be a good chance to attract new customers and strengthen the loyalty of existing ones.

Work with loyal customers

The loyalty program plays a very important role. Program participants can be offered various discounts and benefits, the ability to access discounts and new products before others. Do not forget about such an occasion as the celebration of the anniversary of the company, which can be celebrated with its regular customers, as, for example, did the company Ralf Ringer, celebrating the 20 anniversary.

“20 years is a long way traveled by the Ralf Ringer brand, primarily due to the trust of customers. When developing the plan of events dedicated to the celebration of the company's anniversary, we were guided by the fact that they should include both rational and emotional factors, ”says Valeria Zheleznova, Ralf Ringer, Deputy Commercial Director for Marketing and Advertising. - We faced two tasks - to convey our love and gratitude for the selection of our shoes to each buyer and provide material benefits from the purchase. Throughout October, we delighted our customers with sweet gifts - anniversary chocolate and certificates of a chain of coffee houses, and in stores in the network and in the online store there was a special offer for a wide range of shoes from the new collection -20% discount for a couple as a gift. During the campaign, there was a positive trend in sales, especially the winter collection, for which, as a rule, in October there are still no significant discounts. More than 25 000 pairs of shoes were sold at a special price. Many buyers still post photos on social networks and thank the brand for unexpected tasty surprises. For buyers, not only profitable acquisitions are important, but also the emotions received from the purchase. So, the goal we set was completely achieved. ”

The company will pay special attention to the most devoted customers of the brand who have been buying Ralf Ringer shoes for many years: its management will personally say “Thank you” to each of them, Valeria Zheleznova said.

Friendship with bloggers

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The community of bloggers can provide good service in increasing traffic to your store, especially if your product is aimed at young people. Although the audience of people who today draw most of the information from the Internet is already quite large and is not limited to 18-20-year-olds. In Moscow and other cities, a lot of interesting events are held - fairs of designer things, music festivals, sports, cultural, social events that can help promote your brand with your chosen target audience. A well-thought-out program of participation in such events and friendship / cooperation with bloggers on them contribute to a significant increase in brand awareness and attract the interest of active users of the Network. Bloggers, like journalists, require special attention and respect, communication with them must be built long and painstakingly, and then they will pay you back with a generous coin - they will periodically mention your brand, post, uploading beautiful photos with loyal comments, recommend subscribing to your groups and accounts in social networks.

Attention to children

One of the ways to attract customers to stores today is to pay special attention to children. Thus, luxury shoe boutiques, such as Loriblu in Moscow, create play spaces for babies in their stores to provide a comfortable shopping experience for their mothers.

Other retailers, such as the Econika company, lure parents to their stores with a children's collection. Children's shoes in the assortment of Econika chain stores first appeared in the autumn of the 2015 of the year - with the launch of the capsule collection of shoes "Mother Daughter" - a line of shoes and accessories in the same family look style, very relevant today. “The key idea of ​​the collection is that style begins with mom, and it is mom who influences the taste and ability to dress correctly,” says Irina Zueva, marketing director at Econika.

Children and animals are powerful tools to attract attention to advertising, therefore, children and a like dog are involved in photo and video advertising of the new capsule collection of Econika. Video advertising was actively broadcast on social networks, advertising posters promoting the new capsule hung in store windows, attracting the attention of passers-by.

It is worth noting that the Econika network issues special discount cards for mothers that are issued to parents who have three or more children; discounts on these cards reach 20-30%. Launching a new collection, the company made an e-mail newsletter to the addresses of the owners of these cards, as well as to the database of contacts of buyers who purchased shoes from the previous collection "Mother Daughter".

“Our children's shoes are presented up to the 35 size. By issuing collections of children's shoes, we were able to attract the interest of customers with children and increase traffic; to carry out the idea “Style begins with mom”, that is, begin to introduce potential customers to the brand and focus on the values ​​of our brand - among which the key are family traditions, ”says Irina Zueva. Econika continued this experience by launching a capsule collection of children's shoes with the participation of the Barbie brand in the fall of 2016.

Rulers of children's shoes work well to attract buyers, and sports brands are actively using it. Thus, the Converce brand builds the entire space of some of its branded stores around a children's theme: children's models are put on the podium, or in a space decorated with huge posters with smiling children’s faces.

This article was published in the 142 issue of the print version of the magazine.