Store Launch: How to Keep the Momentum Going - Darice

Opening a brick and mortar retail business can be exhausting. I know, firsthand! As retail business owners, we put so much effort into making our visions a reality. Then, in order to get people immediately into our door, we focus on hosting an amazing grand opening event. After putting so much work and effort into the store launch, it’s no surprise business owners can “crash” a little. After our grand opening, we might find we’re a little wiped out. Maybe funds are low and then we find it challenging to keep the momentum going.

If you’re preparing to open a store soon, or if you recently opened, I’m here to give you some ideas on how to keep the buzz going.

6 ways to keep the momentum going after a store launch:

#1: Public Relations

Just because you had a ribbon-cutting ceremony, or maybe some media attention for your grand opening it doesn’t mean you can’t reach out to more media outlets. You still have a story to share, you sill want people to learn about you – why not reach out to your local news stations and tell them about your shop! It might surprise how many local TV stations are looking for a story or business to feature.

#2: Neighborly Love

You might have been too busy to get out into your neighborhood and meet other business owners. It’s understandable! But now is a great time to grab a stack of your business cards or marketing postcards and go introduce yourself. Some of the best referrals you can get are from other business owners in your area. You might also find about some of the local activities you can participate in too.

#3: Collaborations and Events

A great way to keep the momentum going is to offer experiences in your store. Find some makers, bakers, or other small business owners and collaborate with them for an in-store event or workshop. Not only will it help get foot traffic into your store but you’ll be supporting a fell small business owner too.

#4: Consistency

This will be more important than ever after you launch your store. You want to be consistent with your email marketing and posting on Facebook and Instagram. Emails can be your best converting marketing effort and social media platforms reward businesses who are consistent with their posting scheduling by sharing your posts with more people. Oh, and don’t forget to engage with other local businesses in your area on social media – this is a great way to get more local followers and potential customers in your store. Click here for a list of trends in social media for retail businesses in 2020.

#5: Storefront

You might have been to busy with the interior of your store to pay attention to the details of the exterior but your storefront is important. Do you need to purchase a better sign? Do you need to add an open sign? Add planters near your front door? Create more visually appealing window displays?

#6: Online Presence

You might have a physical location but your online presence is extremely important. Be sure to claim your Google My Business listing, add links to your website and keep your hours updated on other online directories. If you have a website, ensure that your customers know within seconds that you have a physical location, where they can find you, how they can reach you, and your hours of operation. Complete your bios on all social media accounts. Potential followers should know within seconds of seeing your accounts, what your business is and what you sell.

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If you’re preparing to launch soon, I wish you nothing but the best of luck! Remember to save some energy for after that fun and exciting grand opening event – because this is when the work really begins.

If you have some tips to share with other retail business owners and how they can keep the momentum going after a store launch, please comment below and share it with us!