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15 Retail Marketing Strategies to Better Market Your Store
With the right marketing, brick-and-mortar stores can still compete.
Table of Contents
Although online sales continue to command a significant percentage of consumer purchases, brick-and-mortar stores remain essential. Even digital giants like Amazon and Alibaba have invested in physical locations, proving that in-person retail is still relevant.
Whether you’re selling online, in-store or both, competing with the ease of one-click purchasing requires a strong retail marketing plan. We spoke with leading retail marketers to learn about the most effective channels and strategies for attracting customers and driving sales across all retail environments.
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What is retail marketing?
Retail marketing is the planning and process of bringing consumers to retail locations. According to Eric Grindley, founder and CEO of Esquire Media, whether your establishment is a brick-and-mortar shop or an e-commerce store, the goal is to convert your audience to satisfied retail customers.
“Retail marketing involves a wide variety of strategies and techniques that can be used depending upon the retailer’s location, industry, inventory and their customer base,” Grindley explained.
What are the 4 P’s of retail marketing?
When you’re constructing a retail marketing strategy, it can be helpful to use a popular marketing mix known as the four P’s of marketing: product, price, place and promotion.
- Product: In retail marketing, the product aspect involves decisions about your product’s features, design, product quality and branding.
- Price: As a retailer, you must consider factors such as costs, competitors’ pricing, perceived value and market demand to establish your pricing.
- Place: “Place” refers to your product distribution channels. In retail marketing, the place element involves decisions about your store locations, online presence, logistics and overall distribution strategy.
- Promotion: Promotion activities can include advertising, sales promotions, public relations, and other efforts to create a positive image and drive sales.
Consider the four P’s together to create a comprehensive retail marketing strategy that addresses your target market’s needs and influences consumer behavior.
What are the various types of retail marketing?
Various factors will determine the best channels for your retail marketing. “Different types of retail marketing can be used depending on the size and type of the retailer, be it a department store, supermarket, franchise, shopping mall or web store,” Grindley explained.
Consider the following options for expanding the reach of your retail marketing campaigns.
Digital marketing
Digital marketing strategies can involve social media marketing, websites and email marketing campaigns to promote your product or service. Digital marketing is also a great way to boost brand awareness among the potential customers you’ve identified.
Setting up a Facebook page, Instagram business account or LinkedIn business profile is a great way to get started with digital marketing.
Print advertising
Print advertising involves ads in newspapers, magazines or brochures to boost awareness of your company and brand. You can also use direct mail to target specific consumers. This retail marketing strategy allows you to mail messages to people you believe are likely to become buyers.
Public relations services
Public relations representatives can be a valuable resource for your retail marketing efforts. They can help you improve or restore your brand reputation and strengthen consumer reach through online reputation management, press releases, customer retention initiatives and event planning.
Influencer marketing
You can also partner with social media influencers to market your products. Today, online influencers can be just as popular as traditional celebrities. Teaming up with an influencer to feature your brand or product in their social posts, many of which reach millions of followers, can significantly expand your market reach.
Word of mouth
Telling someone about your business or having an event that gets people talking about your brand will never go out of style. Word of mouth can be just as powerful as a promotional email. It creates a more intimate, personal customer experience and connection.
Retail marketing strategies for success
The following tips offer insights for planning and executing a multifaceted retail marketing strategy for long-term success. Most apply to brick-and-mortar retailers, but many can be valuable for online merchants and stores with an online and offline presence.
1. Keep accurate information online.
Even people who prefer shopping in physical stores turn to the internet for assistance. They look for contact information such as phone numbers and directions to the retail location, so you’ll want to ensure that information is current across online directories like Google and Yelp. With so many online listings available, you may also want to consider using a marketing automation program that monitors digital directories, alerts you to errors in your listings, and allows you to make corrections.
You should also ensure that your marketing efforts, especially on social media, include crucial business details so customers can easily plan a visit.
“Be sure to make it easy for customers to find you,” advised Leigh Sevin, co-founder of Endear, an all-in-one clienteling solution that helps retail brands drive more sales. “When posting online, include store addresses, hours and clear calls to action like, ‘Visit us in-store for this limited-time offer!'”
2. Prepare an online catalog.
An online catalog is a must for retail businesses, even for ones that don’t sell online. A product catalog with effective keywords on your website is a marketing tool that may draw others to your store, especially if your pricing and product array help you stand out from the competition.
When optimized properly, your online catalog can be a key part of an SEO strategy that increases website traffic and brings more customers into your store.
An online catalog also helps improve the customer shopping experience, which can increase sales and even build loyalty.
“An up-to-date online catalog ensures customers know what’s available,” Sevin noted. “It’s especially useful for omnichannel strategies. Customers might browse online but want to see the product in-store before purchasing. A clear catalog streamlines that process and ensures a better customer experience.”
3. Use loss leaders, bundles and in-store discounts.
Sean Turner, co-founder and chief technology officer of Swiftly, an integrated retail technology platform, recommended that retailers offer in-store discounts. Try using deep discounts to draw people in or bundling a popular product with a less-popular one and discounting the package, Turner said. This creates the allure of a deal, the urgency of scarcity, and the expectation of exclusivity, all of which drive sales.
Businesses can also use retail technology to deliver timely, personalized offers and discounts to specific customers. “Retailers can capitalize on their advantage by using advanced digital tools to target shoppers with personalized deals that align with their preferences — at the right time and price — to bring them into stores,” Turner said.
4. Make a fabulous window display.
Most retail marketing experts agree that an enticing window display is one of the best ways to attract passersby. It’s a great strategy for showcasing your product packaging and overall brand identity, which will help draw in potential customers. Highlight your best products, along with one big incentive, like 50 percent off items or bundles. Reflect your store’s unique style; a drab display loses the casual window shopper who might make an impulse purchase.
An eye-catching display that communicates your brand’s message is a must, but it should also change periodically to entice both new and repeat customers to pop in and look around. Sandi Hendry, founder and owner of Minky Couture, recommended updating your window display to reflect the seasons, upcoming holidays and new-product launches.
“These displays are all about telling a story,” Hendry explained. “Whether it’s a soft, romantic setup for Valentine’s Day or a cozy winter wonderland during the holidays, we aim to create a connection that makes people want to step inside and experience it for themselves.”
5. Host events.
Both online and brick-and-mortar retailers can host seminars, fashion shows and book signings. Physical locations can host onsite events, and online-only stores can find offsite venues to connect with customers. The goal is to attract new shoppers.
“Events are your chance to make your store the place to be,” said Justin Belmont, founder and CEO of Prose. “They pull people in, get them snapping pics for Instagram and leave them buzzing about your store. A bonus is that a custom hashtag or livestream can turn an in-store event into an online moment.”
At these gatherings, focus on converting attendance into sales. For example, your “Spring Into Fitness” seminar might generate more sales if attendees receive a same-day discount on athletic wear purchases. You can also include one-day-only sales, limited-availability items, and exclusive online coupons for in-store use.
6. Create a shopping experience.
With so many products available from multiple sources, no one needs to frequent a specific store. You must make them want to visit, linger and return to your unique establishment. Shoppers will want to revisit a clean store with friendly staff and extras that make them feel comfortable or excited to be there.
Amy Granger, director of marketing at Dania Furniture and Scandinavian Designs, noted the importance of creating an in-store experience that helps customers visualize the benefits of using your product.
“Our showrooms are designed to feel like real living spaces, showcasing how our furniture can fit into various lifestyles,” Granger said. “Whether it’s through sensory engagement, like touch and feel, or through realistic product setups that mirror daily life, the goal is always to help customers envision how the products will fit into their lives.”
7. Hire experts who love your brand.
Hire staff who already know your products, or train your team to use them correctly. For example, computer salespeople need to listen to customers’ device needs and suggest the best laptop rather than the latest model, sales associates should be able to recommend outfits for different occasions, and the best shoe store employees should know how to analyze a customer’s gait and find the perfect shoe.
But don’t stop at hiring people who simply know your products inside and out. Hire employees who are passionate about your brand. A strong brand ambassador matters in marketing, so having staff who truly love your products will go a long way in convincing customers to make a purchase. Plus, those employees are likely to post about their jobs and your brand on social media, which will entice people to pop in for a visit.
8. Create a relaxed atmosphere.
You don’t want customers to run out the door immediately after walking in. An inviting and relaxed atmosphere makes them feel welcome and encourages them to stay longer and potentially buy more.
There are many ways to create a welcoming space, and the best one for you will depend on the type of store you run. For example, bookstores began competing with Amazon by offering reading areas and sometimes coffee (free or paid) to encourage customers to linger long enough to fall in love with a book. Give customers a reason to stick around in your store instead of running in and out.
“We designed our stores to feel warm and inviting, just like our blankets,” Hendry said. “It’s all about making people feel good while they’re there and wanting to come back.”
9. Cultivate familiarity.
Beyond showing basic friendliness, workers who recognize and acknowledge repeat customers can spark more frequent shopping. Encourage employees to greet familiar faces and, when possible, reference customers’ past visits.
The best CRM software can help your employees provide excellent personalized service, regardless of whether they shop primarily in-store, online or both.
“With Endear, we equip sales associates with tools to engage customers personally across both channels,” Sevin said. “This can mean using in-store data to send personalized follow-ups online or using online browsing behavior to tailor in-store recommendations.”
10. Connect with the community.
The local community must be familiar with your store for it to gain and keep customers. Find ways to be present in the community, such as sponsoring races, contributing to charities or hosting events, all of which are excellent local marketing strategies.
“Proximity matters, and connecting with your local community is extremely important,” Hendry emphasized. “We’ve hosted things like exclusive in-store promos, charity events and warehouse sales that not only draw people in but create real connections. If your local community knows you and loves you, they are more likely to advocate for you by telling their family and friends to come and pay you a visit. Word of mouth is key!”
11. Incorporate the online with the physical.
Most businesses have both an online and in-store presence, but it’s important to remember that they are part of a single shopping experience.
“One key thing to remember is that customers don’t differentiate between ‘online’ and ‘offline’; they just see your brand,” Sevin said.
Keep the experience consistent, and find ways to leverage your online presence to bring customers into the store. For example, Walmart and other retailers allow people to order online and pick up their items in person. As another example, Rebecca Minkoff fashion stores are fully integrated online, so a shopper can choose outfits online, try them on in the store and, if the shopper isn’t ready to purchase, save the items in their online favorites to buy later.
12. Leverage social media.
We touched on digital marketing earlier, but leveraging social media specifically is a great way to promote your brand. Although offering coupons and deals to followers can be effective, most fans of a retailer’s social media page don’t want constant sales pitches.
“People on platforms want to hear real stories from real people,” Hendry explained. “We use these channels to share what’s happening in our stores, like flash sales or fun behind-the-scenes moments with our team. It gives people a reason to come check us out in person.”
“For social media strategies that work, think experiences, not sales,” Belmont advised. “Make people stop scrolling and start showing up.” For example, instead of simply announcing a new product, create an unboxing video or have employees showcase the latest shipment via a livestream.
13. Implement a loyalty program.
Loyalty programs are a great way to encourage customer loyalty, which is vital to any business’s long-term success. The best point-of-sale (POS) systems include loyalty program tools that can help you earn repeat business and gather essential demographic information. This data allows you to reach out with special offers for occasions such as birthdays or anniversaries.
Belmont emphasized the importance of creating a loyalty program that excites customers and incentivizes them to make repeat purchases.
“Your loyalty program should be a VIP experience,” Belmont said. “Think points that actually feel valuable, exclusive perks like early sales access or random surprises that make customers’ day. Keep it simple, make it fun and, most importantly, make your customers feel like they’re part of something special, not just another number.”
14. Send targeted emails.
Mass email blasts may not always capture your customers’ attention. Even worse, they may end up in the spam folder. Instead, focus on crafting targeted emails based on recipients’ shopping habits, needs and interests. For example, if you sell computers, you can have separate email campaigns for shoppers who buy Macs and those who prefer PCs.
You can also use email personalization to provide relevant upselling and cross-selling suggestions, such as sending someone who bought a printer a six-month reminder to buy ink with a limited-time in-store coupon. The best email marketing services can integrate with your POS system and CRM software to help you send targeted offers and information that your recipients will appreciate.
15. Prioritize a personalized approach to your marketing efforts.
Because all of your customers aren’t the same, adopting a personalized approach across your marketing efforts can yield better results. Keep up with marketing segmentation trends to help you determine how to group your target consumers.
“In today’s highly competitive retail landscape, a one-size-fits-all approach no longer works,” Turner cautioned. “Consumers demand personalized, seamless experiences, and retailers need to meet these expectations by leveraging advanced targeting and segmentation strategies.”
Turner recommended leveraging customer data insights to personalize every aspect of your marketing strategy. Your efforts will pay off when people see that you understand them and their needs.
“For example, a new customer exploring your brand for the first time has vastly different needs than a loyal, returning shopper,” Turner said. “Retailers must ensure their communication reflects this distinction.”
Retail marketing tools
The following tools can help you with your retail marketing efforts.
Marsello
Marsello is a data-driven retail marketing platform that integrates online and in-store purchases and consumer data to create a better customer experience. It takes the guesswork out of marketing by analyzing consumer interactions to personalize email campaigns, loyalty programs and SMS marketing to help drive sales. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools save you time by generating content and offering customers personalized recommendations.
Marsello is an omnichannel platform, which means the software can seamlessly serve your customers whether they’re shopping in-store, online or on their mobile devices.
Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a social media marketing tool that lets you manage accounts across multiple platforms to ensure your brick-and-mortar business maintains a strong social media presence that increases brand awareness and attracts customers. You can create and schedule posts to keep your followers engaged, without having to be glued to your phone. AI tools even help you generate content and popular hashtags to get more views.
Social listening tools help you track social media trends, join relevant conversations, and monitor what people are saying about your business.
Emarsys
Emarsys is an omnichannel retail management platform that’s designed to enhance customer engagement. It uses AI and predictive analytics to gather and analyze customer feedback. The software then automates workflows based on the collected data.
You can integrate Emarsys with e-commerce platforms such as Shopify and Salesforce. It also integrates with CRM and email automation tools to send targeted emails, schedule social media posts, and create other online marketing campaigns.
Klaviyo
Klaviyo is a cloud-based retail marketing platform that helps businesses drive sales through marketing automation. By using its integration directory or open API, you can integrate consumer data to personalize marketing solutions and gain deeper insight into audience feedback. Klaviyo’s segmentation tools and AI predictions let you send targeted, compelling messages across multiple channels.
Klaviyo also offers sales-based reporting, a comprehensive dashboard, campaign analytics and tools to track conversion rates.
Omnisend
Omnisend is a retail marketing platform that specializes in email marketing, SMS and automation. Retailers can access a full suite of minimum-advertised-pricing tools to create personalized and automated marketing campaigns that better engage their audience. It even segments and customizes emails based on a customer’s shopping behavior.
Omnisend integrates with most e-commerce platforms and offers user-friendly, customizable templates for email and social media marketing. It provides SMS (text) capabilities alongside email marketing strategies to create a consistent customer experience.
Sean Peek contributed to this article. Some source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.
