How to make retail space welcoming to all *

When you have a retail space, you can’t make it all things to everyone. It’s going to appeal to certain people, depending on what you sell and the niche you’re marketing toward. However, even if some people might not come in because they don’t like what you’re selling, you don’t want people who do like your products to avoid your store because they don’t feel welcome. Creating an environment where everyone who is interested in your products feels comfortable will help you to sell more and it’s good for your brand reputation too. Here are some things that you might want to try.

Image Credit

Make It Accessible

Making your store accessible for everyone isn’t just a question of being welcoming – you should also know the law. There are lots of things to think about if you want to make your space easy to move around. For example, can someone in a wheelchair or with a stroller comfortably move between displays? Are there any steps that people might not be able to climb? You might want to consider making your space welcoming for people with service dogs or have a hearing aid induction loop. Some stores even make sure they create autism-friendly environments by keeping lights low or avoiding playing music.

Think About How to Display Products

Another thing to consider might be how you display and promote your products. Some people might feel like the products aren’t for them if they’re displayed in a particular way. One example is in fashion, where the standard-sized mannequins can be off putting to many. You can consider the use of a plus size mannequin instead, especially if you’re stocking larger sizes. Think about whether you want to suggest a product is for one particular type of person or if you want to create a more open message.

Image Credit

Train Your Staff

Welcoming staff are another important part of creating the right environment in your store. There are lots of things they could learn, from a few key phrases in different languages to how to sensitively deal with customers from all different backgrounds and minorities. Even just making sure that everyone on your staff is capable of being welcoming and politely dealing with customers is important. Although you might have some staff that mostly work in the stockroom, they should still know how to talk to customers if they are approached for help.

Image Credit

Use Your Words – But Follow Through

You can let people know that your store is welcoming to everyone through your marketing and displays. However, if you do this, you need to make sure that you deliver on your promises. Don’t simply use empty words to appear as if you’re prepared to be welcoming to all, but then forget to put the effort in to follow through on what you said you would do. Just saying that you’re welcoming to all isn’t enough if your actions don’t match your words.

Increase your customers and sales by creating a welcoming retail space for all. But make sure you do your research.

* This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links