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The retail sporting industry has been growing steadily for the past 5 years. Large retail chains usually have healthy sales volumes, which can be attributed to their deep pockets. However, if you own a small retail store, marketing will not be so easy.
With very high startup costs, sports retailers should have every tool at their disposal that makes it possible to get back their initial investment. When you Google ‘how to start a business’ you will find a lot of information. Although such information is a good start, you still have to figure out how to get your customers to spend more.
If you have recently started your own clothing store, the following tips will benefit you:
Make buying products manageable and easy
Once customers make it to your website or physical store, you need to make their purchasing experience easier. You can do this by accepting multiple forms of payment, including credit cards and cash. What happens when a customer makes a large purchase?
Group purchases could be the lifeblood of small businesses, which makes it necessary for you to incentivize organizations to buy from you every year and persuade them to keep coming back.
You could try offering group discounts if your competitors are not already doing it. If they are, you should take it a notch higher and start accepting payment in installments.
Contact recreational clubs and local school teams
If you are offering installment payments, you will be more effective when it comes to contacting local organizations. You need to start by writing a list of nearby schools that you can sell your products to, and then get in touch with their Athletics Directors. They could agree to make recommendations to students about where to buy their uniforms or they might have a budget already.
You should be ready to make a great case that will steer students towards your website or store by telling them about your interest-free installment plan. Parents with tight budgets might not be willing to spend hundreds of dollars on uniforms and shoes in one go. This means that they might like your unique payment option.
Buying from you will keep parents from overspending while ensuring that their children do not miss out on playing due to financial issues. After you reach out to local schools, you should use the same approach with sports leagues and clubs.
Launch a mass mailing campaign
Although most people neglect it, mass mailing is an efficient strategy for local retailers. You should ask a local designer to make a postcard, which you can send to targeted areas of the neighborhood. USPS has a program known as EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail): at 17 cents per piece, you can target local consumers.
You just need to make sure that your mail meets the weight and size requirements that EDDM has. If the designer you approach has dealt with mass mailings, he should know the requirements.
Advertise your online store
As you keep the bloggers busy talking about your store, you should invest in some paid ads. Start by joining Google Business to ensure that your company is visible on Google maps. If you are selling branded sports apparel, you should mention it in your ads.
After this, you need to create a Google Adwords campaign as well as a few geo-targeted ads for your site. Be careful when choosing your keywords to ensure that you do not bid outside your geographical area. If you are not confident in your skills, consider hiring a professional to handle your Adwords campaign: this will make your work easier.