30 ways to increase in-store sales

1. Classic discounts without conditions 

The simplest and most popular type of loyalty. Customers do not neglect the opportunity to buy the desired product cheaper.

If discounts apply to the entire product range, customers are more willing to buy more than they planned.

But recently, business owners have begun to abandon direct discounts because this type of promotion is "addictive" for customers. If your products are not essentials, customers will be ready to wait for the next discount season.

Reducing prices is the most common way to attract attention. However, there are other ways to increase the average check and audience loyalty."

2. Sale of the old collection or «liquidation of the warehouse» 

Solves several problems at once: selling stale goods, increasing sales, and freeing up space in the warehouse for new goods.

In TorgSoft, to analyze the remains of goods, the mode "Analysis of stale goods". The program will show you the products that leave much to be desired."

3. Discount for the second item in the check 

An elementary technique that increases the average check.

Discount for the second item in the check, as a rule, applies to the item of lower value.

Stimulates to buy not one product, but several.

4. Happy Hours 

It will help to relieve the queue during rush hour and attract customers to the store during the "lull". The essence of the offer is that it lasts only for a certain period of time (for example, from 10:00 to 13:00). You should announce such a promotion in advance by posting an announcement in the store, on social media, or via mass mailing. The promotion should be long - from several weeks to several months, so that customers get used to it and tell their friends.

"Happy Hours" can be combined with a discount offer for a certain product or type of product.

5. Discounts for certain categories of customers 

You need to determine which segment of customers you want to attract to your store. Grocery stores offer discounts to pensioners; stationery stores offer discounts to schoolchildren in the off-season; children's stores sell last season's collections to mothers with children. Evaluate your audience and act.

6. Privileged discounts 

Keep loyal customers by providing them with VIP status and special conditions. If your audience is wholesale buyers, think about what offer will be attractive to them. The higher the bar for obtaining a discount or bonus card of your store, the more valuable your products will become for VIP card holders.

7. Bring a friend 

The promotion «refer a friend and get a discount» is actively used in Torgsoft on a regular basis. This type of promotion works well if you have a balance of quality goods and services and are ready to be recommended. People are eager to talk about good business. "Word of mouth is a sign that you are moving in the right direction. To increase your customers' willingness to talk about you, let them know that they can get, for example, 5% for one friend, 7% for two, and 10% for three friends.

8. Birthday Discount 

Pay attention to customers - make a personal birthday offer.

This promotion is quite difficult to organize if there is no automation. But with Torgsoft, it's just a matter of technology.

By the way, in Torgsoft, you can make a discount for the birthday of a child or family members of a client. If the client has specified the child's date of birth, the program automatically monitors the child's age. Based on this information, you can make individual offers. For example, what kind of gift to buy for a child for his or her 11th birthday.

9. Discount for motivation

This method will work if the reward is significant. After all, to get a well-deserved bonus, the customer needs to make an effort.

For example, during the New Year holidays, OKKO gas stations offered their customers to sing a song to get a significant discount on fuel.

10. Discount for quantity or purchase amount  

The discount is provided for a purchase of a certain volume, on the quantity of goods. Or depending on the amount spent in the store (one-time or cumulative). This encourages the customer to buy more and bring a friend for joint purchases.

To implement this idea, you cannot do without promotional or discount cards. The seller marks the promotional card (yes, this practice still exists) with each purchase or simply scans the customer's discount card.

In Torgsoft, this idea is implemented in the Discount Policy

11. Discount for activity on the Internet 

In social networks, these are likes of your subscribers, reposts, subscriptions to viber or telegram channels.

On the site or on third-party platforms, this is a subscription to an e-mail newsletter, writing reviews.

This is one of the best methods in terms of increasing customer loyalty and promoting your products, services, or brand.

This way, you not only stimulate sales, but also communicate with your customers, get active subscribers who spread information about the product and/or leave feedback about the store.

12. Discounts on individual products or a type of product 

This option allows you to get rid of stale goods. To attract attention, promotional products in the store are labeled with bright price tags.

It can be applied to products of some manufacturers or brands if your supplier has given you good prices for this product. If you just lower the price for no reason, no one will notice. Announce it and draw attention to it with a bright offer: "When you buy Ceresit tiles from us, you get a discount!"

13. Non-standard solutions

This is a cure for boredom and, to some extent, entertainment for customers. The main thing is your imagination.

For example, for shoe stores, you can offer a discount depending on the size of the foot; for a fishing shop, a discount for a customer's photo with a catch (you can ask to leave the photo for the "wall of honor" in the store)

14. Collaboration with another store 

In this case, promotional codes or discount cards for a network of different stores will work. This can be an unexpected combination: a coffee shop + a flower shop + a women's clothing store.

For example, if you own a coffee shop, you can agree with a clothing store near you on a joint discount for your customers. This way, visitors to the clothing store for the advice will learn about your coffee shop and come in for a cup of coffee.

On the Internet and social networks, cooperation is spread through promotional codes.

15. Pre-order 

This promotion is actively used by online stores. 

For example, Nash Format Publishing regularly offers to purchase books that have not yet been published at a very attractive price. "Pre-order will definitely work for you if the product is not yet in stock, but you want to fuel demand. It is convenient to promote the pre-order on social media and on the website.

16. Product bundle  

It is used to sell non-selling goods at an affordable price or to increase the average check. Customers are offered a set of interrelated products, such as a phone and a memory card or a gin and tonic. The point is that buying a bundle is more profitable than buying each product separately.

Bundle compatible products, and it will be much easier to sell the bundle.

17. Promotions by day of the week 

It is applicable for stores with high traffic, such as supermarkets and grocery stores. In this case, the discount is provided on a certain day of the week for a certain type of product.

If your store's traffic is down on Mondays, this method can fix the situation.

18. Two for the price of one 

The classic of marketing in retail: when buying a certain product, the customer receives the second one - for free (in the check the product goes for 1 hryvnia or 1 kopeck).

This method draws attention to a product that is not very actively sold.

The product that comes as a gift should be at the seller's fingertips.

There was a case when a seller went to get a gift, leaving the customer languishing at the checkout waiting. As a gift, the seller brought an artificial flower that cost 5 kopecks.

So you should also take gifts seriously, so as not to level its meaning and not to offend your customer.

19. Now or never

This technique is usually used in two cases:

• when the customer does not take the last step and abandons the order in the online store at the payment stage. In this case, the customer receives a reminder about the unfinished purchase with an offer to continue and get a nice bonus
• in offline stores, for this purpose, a discount is provided for certain products, which is valid only today.

20. Bonus program 

Bonuses are popular in retail. The advantage of bonuses is that they can be used to ensure repeat purchases as a result of bonus accrual and burning.

A good example of this is the bonus system in Sportmaster: after the purchase, the customer is credited with bonuses that he can use when he returns to the store in the coming weeks. Otherwise, they will be burned."

The bonus system with validity period in Torgsoft allows you to accrue bonuses for a certain period of time.

21. Bonuses for future purchases

Suitable for types of products that require additional consumables, for example:

• when buying a printer, photo paper or paints can then be purchased at a discount
• when buying a Maine Coon cat in a pet store, a discount on the corresponding food is provided for 3 months

This approach attracts visitors to your store for a product at a bargain price. And it is not uncommon for a customer to get carried away and buy something else.

Torgsoft allows you to set various conditions for discounts and promotions in the store. You can easily organize a variety of marketing techniques by combining requirements for the purchase amount, quantity and type of goods, discount amount, day and time of the promotion.

22. Gamification

Achieving ratings, accruing points - this will work great for English language courses, children's studios.

For example, in a dance studio, a child is awarded points for regular attendance at classes, master classes, and test performances, and his or her rating increases. The photo of the best dancers is placed in the main hall of the studio. This stimulates the child to achieve even better results, attend classes regularly, and not transfer to another school.

23. Chips and stickers

You've probably seen this method in supermarkets or hardware stores. In exchange for the collected number of "chips" or stickers, the buyer receives gifts or significant discounts on products of well-known brands.

This method allows you to effectively "filter" social shoppers who are ready to exchange their time for a discount. For example, stickers in supermarkets are collected mainly by pensioners who have a lot of time and are happy to participate. This approach allows you to actually create an individual price for this group of customers and increase sales in this segment.

24. Free delivery

Not paying for delivery  is emotionally attractive for the customer. It's one thing to pay once for a product (even if the cost of delivery is included in the price of the product), but it's another thing to part with money twice. This model is typical not only for online stores, but also for furniture stores and large household appliances. Do not be lazy to deliver the goods to the customer and he will come to you for another purchase, because it is convenient."

25. Tasting

The practice of grocery stores to draw attention to a new product or product. Or vice versa - to update poorly selling items. This is a common thing, but still an event. It's important that the staff looks "on point" and that the products are of impeccable quality. Tasting is not only about selling goods, but more about communicating with your customers."

26. Social relevance

Customers like to feel like they are part of a big and useful cause. That's why the inscriptions "By purchasing this product, you help children" or "Part of the money goes to the purchase of medical equipment" motivate customers to buy the offered product. Provide the customer with something in return - for example, a sticker or a small postcard confirming their involvement in a good cause.

27. Limited offer

Artificial excitement creates a "hunting instinct" in the buyer and a desire to become the owner of this product.

In the ATB grocery supermarket, you can often find products that sell no more than 2-3 pieces in one hand. And it is these products that are swept off the shelves.

28. Exchange with a surcharge

This mechanism is used by electronics and home appliances stores. For example, in exchange for an old phone, the buyer receives a new one with a surcharge.

29. Lotteries

Consumers are often very gambling. A classic example is when a customer needs to buy a product for a certain amount. In this case, they get the opportunity to participate in a prize draw from the store to sell in any store, regardless of the city or village. There was a case when sellers bought goods in their own store, following all the lottery rules. And on the day of the drawing, when customers gathered in the store, 7 out of 10 gifts were won by the salespeople. It happens even by chance, believe me :)

30. Contests

A gamification element that will draw attention to the brand, increase the reach of the target audience, and increase awareness and loyalty.

This can be done through social media. If you give something away, encourage contestants to write a comment under the main post. The advantage of social media is that all your friends and subscribers will see the comment written by a "friend". Accordingly, they will see your contest, product, and brand. And this means thousands of potential customers. Your customers.