How To Increase Foot Traffic To a Retail Store

Foot traffic is defined as shoppers whom reach a store by walking rather than driving. If you own a retail store in a bustling suburban area, you should take advantage of the high number of nearby pedestrians by trying to draw them in. Even if they are originally headed elsewhere, you can oftentimes pull them into your store by using the right marketing and promotional material. For a closer look at how to increase foot traffic to a retail store, keep reading.

Turn Up The Music

You might be surprised to learn just how much of an effect music has on generating foot traffic. When the music is turned up, more pedestrians will notice your retail store. And when pedestrians notice your store, your foot traffic goes up. It's a simple technique that can yield huge gains for a retail store.

Start by raising the volume of your store's music just slightly and then walk outside to see if you can hear it clearly. If it's still quite or difficult to hear, turn it up a little bit more. You obviously don't want to blast your store's shoppers with obnoxiously loud music, but you want it clear enough to capture pedestrians attention.

Flags, Banners and More, Oh My!

It oftentimes takes more than just music to encourage pedestrians to enter a store. Another tip that's helpful to generating more retail foot traffic is to hang flags, signs, banners and other promotional material outside of the establishment. When it's done right, pedestrians will notice the signs and feel like they must check out your store. When it's done incorrectly, though, exterior signs will have little-to-no effect on the amount of foot traffic your store receives.

Exterior sign display tips:

• Face the signs toward the oncoming pedestrians.
• Use bright colors, such as yellow and red, along with bold letters to achieve greater visibility.
• Use words like "sale," "clearance," "blowout," etc.
• Experiment with new exterior signs on a regular basis to see what works and what doesn't.
• Hang flags and banners in the wind for a natural source of movement.
• Don't over do it. Using an excessive amount of signs could have a negative effect on foot traffic.
• Make sure your exterior signs are made with a waterproof material.

These are just a few tips on how to increase foot traffic to a retail store. It may take a little trial and error, but keep experimenting with new setups until you find the magic formula that works for your business.