Convenience store shopfitters like ourselves are well aware of the part such establishments have played during lockdown at the height of the pandemic.
So many small grocery stores have come into their own, serving their local community and reaping rightful praise in the process. But, now that the coronavirus vaccines are being rolled out and there at last appears to be an end to future lockdowns, how are these valued small stores going to keep their customers coming back? After all, once lockdown is lifted customers will be able to stray much further from home and will have a whole world of shopping once again open up to them.
Well, in addition to making movement around your store more fluid, and stocking specialist products you know regular customers like and appreciate, you can also make your store more relevant to old and new customers alike by providing digital signage.
Why does installing electronic signage and TV screens in and outside your store impress clients? Well one of the reasons is that you can use this medium to advertise special promotions and daily discounts – money-saving benefits that your customers will definitely appreciate.
Five benefits of using digital media for small stores
1. Tidier appearance in-store and out
Convenience store shopfitters like ourselves here at Steampunk are fully in favour of using digital media in-store, because it also makes the interior look far sleeker and tidier. Too many companies these days provide cardboard cut-outs, posters and other promotional material for their products that simply ends up taking up space and making the shelving where the goods are sitting, look messy. That type of display material is fine for supermarkets but in a small convenience store, space is at a premium.
2. More modern and sophisticated
Also, a cluttered store looks smaller and less enticing to visit. Digital media means you can promote the product without all the ‘extra cardboard.’ It’s also a much more contemporary way to tell your customers about new items and discounts. Then there is the fact that it simply looks more professional and relevant in this day and age.
3. Better, more eye-catching branding
The third reason digital media works in small convenience stores, according to the majority of convenience store shopfitters is because it’s another way of getting your branding out there. A digital display is far more eye-catching than a static sign or poster, we are sure you’ll agree.
4. No blocking other products or daylight
And, finally, the ultimate reason why we prefer digital signage in place of promotional posters and cardboard photos etc is because it actually ends up hiding other goods and products that are being sold.
Worse still, many smaller stores display posters and paraphernalia for special promotions in their shop windows, meaning it blocks out daylight from entering the store, creating a rather dingy atmosphere during the day in a particularly small store if there aren’t any lights switched on.
5. Increase revenue by selling advertising space
Every company worth its salt knows the value of digital advertising over static posters and signage. And it’s why you’ll probably find more firms, such as local tradespeople, willing to take up advertising space on your digital signage. Charge them for this and before you know it, you’ll have paid off the cost of buying it in the first place!
Where to display your digital media
So, now that you have established digital media signage is the future for your small store, where are you going to erect it?
Grab and Go section. Well, there tends to be certain areas where it works best. One of these is, of course, immediately when the customer enters the shop. This tends to be at the ‘grab and go’ section ie where you sell sandwiches, drinks, newspapers and individual chocolate bars or fruit etc. A TV screen here can prove excellent for quick impulse buys.
Counter areas. Is there a bakery or deli counter in your small store? Counters are another top area for erecting digital signage. That’s because customers tend to hang around here waiting to be served or, better still, queuing – at which point they’re probably looking around for distractions to pass the time. A colourful, moving TV screen would be just the ticket.
Till areas. Another reason where your shoppers tend to line up is in front of the main counter or till areas to pay. During busy times this can be a particular good area for getting messages on special promotions out.
At Steampunk we may be convenience store shopfitters ourselves and, as a result, aware of all the psychological trick shops employ to get customers to buy. However, even we have fallen victim to the enticement of a product advertised on a digital TV screen. The result? We have seen ourselves pay for items in our basket then trot back into the store to buy goods on special promotion that we spotted while waiting to pay. See, it happens to the best of us…
Community bonding with digital media
In a village store, or a convenience store located in a reasonably large area of a town where there are schools, gyms and parks, you can use your digital media to update the local community.
That means posting ‘nice, welcoming’ news such as an upcoming local fayre or a win for the local football team. It can also be used to warn of nasty weather coming or an alert that the local trains or buses aren’t running to schedule.
It’s actually good to include community news in your digital media strategy. If you run a social media page for your store you will already know that it’s a bad move to constantly advertise your products. That’s boring. Instead, you need to put up interesting snippets, photos, videos and humorous messages to keep fans coming back to your page.
Well, the same can be said for your digital media to a similar extent. Customers will stop looking if you’re advertising all the time but it you put up cheery, welcoming or relevant news too, then they may just start looking out for your digital signage.
Looking for more contemporary redesign of your current convenient store? Or perhaps you need a whole new floor layout? Then again, could it be that you’re simply tired of looking at the same old walls day in, day out?
If that’s the case then why not get in touch with the team here at Steampunk? We are a highly-skilled and experienced bunch of craftsmen who enjoy the challenge of a new redesign. In fact, we love nothing better.
Don’t put off for another year what you have been planning for some time now. After all, if there’s one thing that 2020 taught us, it’s that we must ‘seize the day.’ No-one knows what’s going to happen tomorrow…
Meanwhile, why not take a look at some of our other projects! We look forward to hearing from you!