Canadian Retailer - Holiday 2013 - 28

MYSTORE RETAILER'S GUIDE VOL. 9.6: RETAIL SALES

* Do I staff for company-so I don't get lonely
in the store-or do I base staffing levels on
customer demands?
* What are the true staffing needs? How
many people do I need on the floor? How
many part-timers and how many full-timers
do I need to employ?
* What kind of training do I need to provide
my staff? Where in the sales process do I
see deficiencies?
13. Integrate marketing

In 2013, independent retailers who do not
have a website-even if it is a simple business
card website-do not exist for many customers.
The lull that traditionally follows Christmas offers a time to get that website online and to add
functionality, like maps and e-commerce.
The sales lull also provides a time to integrate marketing efforts. This means carrying
sales messages, colours and design themes
across the different marketing channels (like
the website, the in-store experience, email marketing blasts and social media).

In the new year, make a resolution to manage time better. Create a system where there is time
to manage the work that will
advance the store's goals. Turn
to business partners, business
coaches and mentors to reinforce
time management goals.

15. Work on time management

New marketing ventures, new staff training,
and new sales events all require time. How
many of us find ourselves saying, "I am the
busiest person I know?" Probably all of us.
In the new year, make a resolution to manage time better. Create a system where there is
time to manage the work that will advance the
store's goals. And to make this happen, retailers won't want to work alone. Turn to business
partners, business coaches and mentors to reinforce time management goals.
16. Fine-tune the returns policy

Before January, fine tune the store's returns
policy, says Chevallier.
In the new year, retailers have to deal with
outlays-accepting returns, seeing gift certificates cashed out.
"There is no cash in the till at the end of the
day," says Chevallier.
A finely tuned returns policy outlines the
obligations that the customer and retailer have
to abide by. These might include:
* Details about what the retailer requires to
accept a return (receipts, unopened goods,
credit cards)
* Information about how the retailer honours
the return (do they refund cash or provide
store credit?)
* Time frames for when the returns period closes
Retailers will want to retrain staff concerning
ways to spot fraudulent returns and give them
tips to help them enforce the returns policy without becoming confrontational with customers.

14. Online housecleaning

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17. Be a customer

Websites go stale. Each year, retailers should
make time for some online housekeeping.
Housekeeping involves checking to ensure
that the store hours and information is upto-date, making sure the security patches are
current and testing the website in different
browsers to ensure they load across different
platforms. (And make sure mobile devices can
read the website.)
Retailers will also want to search their website to see how search engines treat them. Does
the store's webpage appear at the top of the
page? Do comments and reviews appear close
to the store's search results, and are these reviews positive? How does the store's competition appear in relation to the store's website?

January and February are the perfect times
for retailers to be customers, says Chevallier.
Look for deals from vendors, search for new
products and shop around. It's okay to demand
better service and better value. Stating demands
clearly and negotiating for a more advantageous
position is allowed. Don't be shy.

canadian retailer | holiday 2013 | www.retailcouncil.org/cdnretailer

For more Retailer's Guides and other MySTORE
resources available to you and your teams,
visit www.retailcouncil.org/mystore. To find
out more about MySTORE and the cost saving
benefit programs available to members of RCC,
contact the association Membership Service
`s
team at 1-888-373-8245, or email at
mystore@retailcouncil.org.

http://visitwww.retailcouncil.org/mystore http://www.retailcouncil.org/cdnretailer

Canadian Retailer - Holiday 2013

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