24 search results for “Lindsey Peacock”

There’s a reason many retailers ask for a customer’s email during checkout: email is both effective when it comes to snagging sales and is inexpensive to send to even the largest of lists.

As most merchants are aware, email marketing is a necessary function when running a small business. Regardless of your ideal customer, email messages resonate with most demographics. Email also has a higher impact than other digital mediums. For example, an email message is five times more likely to catch your customer’s eye than a Facebook post. And it’s also better and drawing new customers, according to McKinsey. Information sent to someone’s inbox is 40 times more effective at converting them than social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

Because email is so effective, it's wise for most retailers to consider it as a primary pillar of their marketing strategy. But setting up email marketing campaigns can be an overwhelming endeavor for merchants just getting started. Luckily, there are dozens of tools available to make the process more palatable for merchants — but which should you employ for maximum impact with minimal effort? Here are our votes for the 10 most essential retailers should check out to get the most from their email marketing efforts.

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In the midst of the busiest shopping season of the year, many retail entrepreneurs may feel like there’s little time to prep for the year ahead.

Although Black Friday and Cyber Monday are behind us, a report from Stitch Labs shows that almost half of retailers say their holiday season ends in January.

Between keeping shelves stocked, fulfilling orders, and keeping employee morale high while they work over the holidays, it’s an understatement to say that retailers are often stretched thin this time of year. And while you still need to finish year-end inventory counts and review reconciliation reports, there are plenty of less cerebral ways to get ready for 2017.

So, here are a few low-key activities you can tick off your to-do list that your future self will thank you for doing.

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One indicator of a healthy brick-and-mortar store is a steady stream of foot traffic. Whether you’re a merchant or a customer, a queue outside a storefront’s doors and aisles full of shoppers are signs that a brand is likely succeeding.

But measuring important metrics like foot traffic can be difficult (unless you stand at you store door and count customers as they come in — but who has time for that?).

And foot traffic isn’t the only important data retailers can use to both gauge the health of their sales and optimize their storefront or pop-up shop. Retailers should also consider tracking and measuring some of these analytics as well:

• In-store hot spots (like your most popular aisles)
• Busy days/times for store visits
• Common customer routes through your store
• Demographics of store visitors
• Impact of promotions/marketing campaigns on foot traffic
• Customer conversion ratio (rate that visitors become customers by buying something)
• Average purchase value
• Number of items per purchase

Keeping up with all these analytics may seem like an overwhelming prospect at first, but fortunately, retailers can access a number of high-tech tools that can help.

Depending on the goals you have for your store, there are a number of programs, apps, and sensors that eager merchants can seek out to help them stay on top of these important numbers. And here, we’ve rounded up some of the best tools you’ll find in the industry today.

Ready to take control of your data to make more informed decisions? Let’s take a closer look at some of our top picks.

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As shoppers have grown more tech savvy, their expectations for retailers have increased.

Based on findings from PricewaterhouseCooper’s recent Total Retail 2016 report, customer expectations are soaring, but retailers who don’t meet the new shopping experience standard may see a serious slump in sales as a result. Unfortunately, this has forced some traditional retailers to play catch up with consumer expectations. 

Part of that set of ever-changing expectations is for merchants to create an individualized experience just for them — i.e. personalized offers and tailored suggestions based on that specific consumers’ wants and needs. 

“With customers changing quickly and expecting retailers to know their needs and habits and provide them with personalized offers and experiences, the questions for retailers isn’t whether they need to change — it’s ‘Where to start?’” states PwC’s latest annual report. 

While the concept of a personalized shopping experience may sound overwhelming at first, there are a few concrete ways retailers can make the transition from offering a one-size-fits-all experience to a more tailored one. Here's how to get started.

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When it comes to tasks that take up significant time and energy, training new staff members certainly ranks toward the top of the list. Between finding, hiring, and preparing new workers, much of a merchant’s time can be spent simply getting staff up to speed.

Not only is it time-consuming, but replacing and training staff members is also expensive. A Center for American Progress study showed that the cost to replace a $10/hour retail employee is around $3,328.

The training portion of this formula can be particularly tricky. If retail employees have lackluster preparation for their new job, then they may not be able to perform their duties well (or at all). Important tasks could go undone, or they could provide poor customer service to shoppers.

On the other hand, every day spent training a new employee takes resources away from running your business. And some sources say trainees take a lot longer to get up to speed than you might think. According to an article in Training Industry Quarterly, it takes at least one to two years before an employee is “fully productive.”

So, creating an efficient training program that ensures each staff member is thoroughly briefed on your products and their new responsibilities can save merchants time, money, and plenty of unneeded stress. 

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“Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light.” –Vera Nazarian

Reading is an endeavor every entrepreneur — particularly those who sell products in person — should undertake on a regular basis. Adding to your base of knowledge and honing your skills not only broadens your horizons, but it can also help you run your business more effectively and efficiently.

In the ever-evolving world of retail, no one has the luxury of standing still. Professional development is key to shedding light on new techniques and technologies, keeping up with trends, and understanding where the industry is headed.

But stretched-thin entrepreneurs only have so much time between their day-to-day tasks to dedicate to this kind of reading. So, if you’re going to crack open a book, your best bet is to spend time between the lines of a high-impact read that offers you some valuable insights.

Based on current best-sellers and some long-standing industry favorites, we’ve rounded up a few must-have books to add to your to-read list.

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Shopify is headed to the UK to talk about all things commerce.

Beginning in late September, a group of experts, gurus, and staff will stop in some of the UK’s biggest business centers for our next installment of the Shopify Retail Tour. Merchants and aspiring entrepreneurs alike can get tips to help with wherever they are in their selling journey. Whether it’s setting up your online store, optimizing your product shipping, learning the best ways to sell in person, or more advanced growth hacks, merchants will have plenty of high-impact advice to draw upon during the all-day workshops.

As a busy merchant, we know your time is valuable. Which is why each of our dates is chock-full of actionable advice. You can also set up a one-on-one appointments with our helpful customer support team at the Guru Bar, speak with local Shopify Experts at our Experts Bar, and sign up for a day full of workshops.

We’re also premiering the new Shopify card reader across the UK. Bridge the gap between your online and offline sales with Shopify POS, our free iPhone and iPad point of sale app, and the tap, chip, and swipe card reader. So no matter where you sell, you can keep your products and customers in sync.

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So, you’ve taken the leap — you’re set up with a mobile point-of-sale system to make it easier to sell anywhere.

Shopify POS offers a bevy of great features and capabilities built right in. But you can also extend the flexibility of this mobile POS with the help of a few key apps.

After scouring the Shopify app ecosystem, we’ve rounded up some of the top-rated apps that can make in-person selling that much easier. From loyalty programs to referral systems to automated invoices, these apps can enhance the abilities of Shopify POS while also automating or streamlining everyday retail tasks.

Ready to read up on them? Here are our top picks for merchants to consider.

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‘Tis the season for gifts — particularly for sweets and treats. And many of us are familiar with one seasonal gift that traditionally combines sweet treats: advent calendars.

Yes, we mean those cardboard boxes with 25 numbered doors hiding little chocolates or sweet messages from your loved ones.

While advent calendars have been around for hundreds of years, this holiday gift is currently seeing a resurgence in popularity. And although advent calendars full of little chocolates is a perfectly tasty gift (who doesn’t love chocolate?), some crafty entrepreneurs are offering their own spin on these holiday stocking stuffers.

For those DIYers passionate about the holidays (or just creating a cool calendar), it’s possible to turn this tradition into a playful (and profitable) seasonal product.

Not sure how? Let’s take a deep dive into traditional advent calendars and examine some idea to help you get started.

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As a kid, you likely tinkered with one form of craft kit or another. Whether it was a loom kit that allowed you to create a custom beaded creation, an art kit that helped you paint-by-numbers, or a model kit for building your favorite jet, many of us have some experience with these creations in a box.

And those craft kits are coming back with a vengeance — and with many new iterations. With the rise of inspirational platforms like Pinterest, crafting has seen a huge boost in popularity. Crafting is no longer a kitschy hobby — DIYing is having a moment right now. And because of this rising trend, there are ample business opportunities for savvy hustlers.

Creating your own craft kits for children and adults alike can stoke your creative fire while also offering a hot product for eager crafters.

Ready to hear more about building craft kits into a business? Let’s take a look at the product’s prospects, examine some examples, and highlight how you can get started selling.

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