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‹ INSIGHTS  |  RETAIL BETTER BLOG

CLEAN, NEAT AND ORGANIZED STORES ARE SUCCESSFUL STORES - ALWAYS LOOK AS GOOD AS YOU ARE

January 16, 2020 by Ally Azzarelli – The investment firm UBS predicts 40,000 stores will close in the next five years, it’s easy to blame e-commerce. However, the fastest way to turn away customers is with a store that’s dated, unorganized, dirty and/or messy. Stores that sparkle and shine make shoppers feel welcome and confident about the merchandise or services offered in-store.

According to ServiceChannel’s State of Brick and Mortar Retail Report, 70 percent surveyed admitted to a recent negative experience. These messy store encounters included disorganized shelves, sloppy dressing rooms, burned-out light bulbs and dirty restrooms.

customer shopping for clothing

Neatness Matters

Cluttered shelves and various simple aesthetics can create a bad impression and is a surefire way to lose credibility. Using the right fixtures, sign hardware and product display elements for your stores is essential. Smart retail fixtures help maximize display space, increase sales, improve the customer experience, and encourage repeat business.

Robots to the Rescue

Shoppers are looking at your floors, walls, doors, windows, entry ways and more. Retailers like Ahold Delhaize and Walmart deployed computerized AI robots in their stores to help with everything from scrubbing floors to scanning shelves for out-of-stock items. An easy way to keep employees and management accountable is with a task management  program or by incentivizing your staff with enhanced workforce programs and benefits or salary increases.

Cleanliness Is Key

It only takes one disgusted customer to share a video or photo of your messy store via social media to make the evening news. Cleanliness is vital to the growth and reputation of any store and is a common factor to Consumer Reports’ top-rated 2019 U.S. grocery stores, supermarkets, and warehouse clubs such as stores like Wegman’s and Trader Joe’s.

An Affordable Refresh

Store remodels and updates don’t have to break the bank. From hiding unsightly pipes or wall obstructions to a simple refresh – a little refresh can go a long way and increase sales. Target reported a comparable sales boost related to its store remodels. Store exteriors just as important as the interiors – remember that’s the first thing your customers notice upon arrival. Keep parking lots well lit, trash out of site, and signage clear, vibrant and well maintained.

For additional retail remodeling, signage or marketing tips, be sure to follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook and connect with us on LinkedIn.

 

Our Brand Story

GSP started as a printing company in1978. We found our niche supplying in-store signage for convenience stores when retailers guessed quantities they needed. This led to overage, waste and expense. To solve this, we developed software to guarantee on-time delivery of “the right size sign, to the right store, every time.”

In 2014, we started AccuStore with a dedicated team. As software helped drive our growth, we realized that new printing and fulfillment sites near customers could drive business and improve sustainability. We acquired companies that fit GSP’s technical excellence and superior customer service models.

First was Great Big Pictures in Madison, WI in 2015. They lead the field in large format printing and visual merchandising for iconic fashion retailers. Their standards for customer service include award-winning sustainability programs, and expertise to bolster retail environments services.

In 2020, GSP acquired Custom Color in Lenexa, KS. The company supplies printed graphics to leading retailers. Custom Color’s stellar quality in fabric printing also aligns with GSP’s values.

GSP provides branding and marketing services with a focus on site-specific execution to help transform our customers’ growth strategies into store-level success. We design retail environments to engage shoppers and provide superior customer experiences. AccuStore powers our retail marketing, execution and digital display technologies and ensures stores get only what they need. GSP is a forward-thinking company that’s here to serve retailers now, with a focus on their future.

GSP delivers graphics and digital marketing to over 75,000 retail locations. Our experts provide retail branding and marketing services, focused on site-specific execution. Our methods ensure stores get only the POP they need, at the lowest cost. Our Retail Environments team creates and deploys amazing, in-store shopping experiences.