So, When Are You Going to Fix That?

Fresh Eyes Can Improve Your Bottom Line


When we’re in the same environment day in and day out, it’s easy to overlook things in our retail store that need our attention. Ditto with our website, store signage and monthly store calendar.

A personal experience: We’ve had an ongoing issue with a portion of our roof, which has lead to our dining room having so many contractors and repair people coming through that I might as well have installed a subway carousel. We aren’t expecting the Queen over for dinner anytime soon, so we haven’t worried too much about it, but we’ve gotten a bit lazy about this area. Whenever we have company, we almost have to remind ourselves to straighten up the clutter. We see it all the time so we’ve gotten used to it.

Is there an aspect of your store like this? Maybe you’ve been meaning to change out a display or update an area but just haven’t gotten around to it? While you may be used to seeing it and can dismiss it, your customers may see it differently. We don’t want our customers believing that our businesses aren’t keeping current and aren’t “the place” to be when it comes to their digital photography needs. What we view as non-critical can be viewed by a customer as apathy or laziness.

If you want to find out what kind of update your store might need, consider the following:

Bring in the Newbies: Find a few people who don’t spend much time in your store and ask them to take a look around. What do they notice that needs work? Let them know that you need their honest advice and won’t take offense to their responses. And if you say it, honor it. It doesn’t mean you have to take all the advice, but they may be in a better position to tell you what might stand out as a negative to your customers.

Think about Theater: What story are you trying to tell? What makes you unique? Do your store signage and display areas convey those special attributes? If not, it’s time to take action. Solicit ideas from employees and favorite customers; you may find an idea that will literally transform your shopping experience.

Focus and Delegate: Create a simple action plan—one page or so—that outlines your vision for your store and what needs to be done. Make sure to create sections for the person responsible for the area and the completion date. And when you meet those goals, celebrate by ordering in pizza for the team or bringing breakfast to your next manager meeting.

Now that the holiday rush is over, this is the perfect time to look at your business with fresh eyes and, more important, execute those ideas. Once you do, you’ll find that you inspire your customers to do more with their digital pictures, and isn’t that why we’re here in the first place?