I am working with an independent retailer at the moment that is not doing any marketing because they don’t have the money. This is an unacceptable excuse!

Marketing your independent retail business does not have to cost anything apart from time and effort. Here are some easy to undertake marketing ideas you can implement without spending any money, just a bit of time.

1. Create a front window display that screams COME INSIDE WE HAVE STUFF YOU WANT.
2. Put a promotional flyer in every bag that leaves your shop. Have two or three offers on the flyer plus an expiry date and a coupon for them to bring back so you can track engagement.
3. Include a voucher or promotion on the bottom of every receipt. This could be an ad for a service or a discount off your next purchase. Good EPoS software will make handling this easy for you.
4. De-clutter your counter and place good margin product there that works. I have found that less (but better) product at the counter generates more revenue.
5. Track your customers from where they enter to where they leave. Place at the most popular locations, those attracting the most eyeballs, items they have not come to purchase, but could appeal to that shopper. Perfect placement can be money in the bank.
6. Get rid of junk in your shop, stock that has not sold in six months or more. Make your shop cleaner, more welcoming and more enjoyable to shop. Any stock you want to throw away offer it to local charities and community groups first.
7. Talk to your customers. Make sure they know you’re thrilled they are shopping with you.
8. Go and stand where your customers stand when they come to the counter. Look behind where you would stand and at what your customers might see. Now go and create a display there to promote to shoppers at your counter.
9. List your business for free using Google.
10. List your business for free using local online directories.
11. Host a staff meeting and explain your plan to refresh the business and ask for their support to do this. Get their ideas and encourage them to engage more with shoppers on the shop floor.
12. Get a colleague retailer in to look at your business and make suggestions. Tell you want them to be brutally honest. You need to know what others see that you miss.
13. Contact local clubs and community groups that could partner with you on promotions. Like: knitting clubs, sports clubs, schools, kindergartens. They could use your shop to connect with more people in the community.

This list is a fraction of free ideas you could use.

There is no excuse for not marketing your convenience store. These ideas do not cost anything.