What’s In Store?: How to get shoppers back in store in 2022

How retailers can buck the online shopping trend and get customers back into bricks and mortar stores in 2022.

The COVID-19 pandemic saw the emergence of a range of new trends, most notably for those in the retail trade, a shift in consumer behaviour around buying habits. According to Australia Post’s January 2022 edition of ‘Inside Australian Shopping Online’, online shopping continues to grow year on year with a 35% increase in online sales from December 2019 to December 2021.

While in-store shopping has reduced over the past two years (in some places more so than others), the need for customer engagement has remained, seeing many organisations turn to social media and online interaction to reach out to customers, encouraging, where possible online purchase avenues.

So, as we slowly start to see our CBDs come alive again with mask restrictions reducing and work from home mandates scrapped, how can brick and mortar store owners entice customers away from the comfort and ease of online shopping and back into the store?

At Plexus, we have a few ideas that may help.

Research has indicated that during the pandemic in particular, customers were more likely to take up a brand or product that came with a promotional offer (beyond a standard price discount). Customers’ consideration around price can also be reduced when a consumer is in-store (meaning that a customer is less likely to shop around, consider or delay their purchase when in-store shopping).

In addition, ‘support local’ movements have gained momentum in recent times, indicating that customers are keen to do what they can to support their local retailers, with social media campaigns #BuyFromTheBush and #SpendWithThem and accruing large numbers of followers.

This combination of factors means the time is now for retailers to start ramping up in store promotions and activations and begin to see an uptick in foot traffic and in store sales.

Types of promotions that can help get customers back into stores

Instant win promotions:

Instant Win promotions are a sure-fire way to drive customers in store. With today’s on-demand society, the excitement of finding out immediately if you are a prize winner is a real draw card for customers – in store instant win promotions can be run with physical scratch card tickets or a via digital mechanic and offer a range of prizes including in store discounts and merchandise;

Games of skill:

Games of skill are quick and easy to get off the ground, without the need for permits. Games of skill can also be utilised to gauge customer experiences, asking customers to provide feedback on their in-store experience (and what they love about shopping in person at your store) which can then be used in further advertising and communications to drive further numbers in store;

Prize draws:

Game of Chance prize draws are another favourite for customers, with quick and easy participation and entry mechanics. Prizes can range in value and quantity to increase engagement, with higher volume, lower value prizes often being more appealing to consumers than larger prizes in limited quantities!

How to advertise your promotion

The push to get customers back in store doesn’t mean that retailers need to abandon their online presence altogether – in fact, online advertising can also be ramped up in an effort to get customers back in store. Advertising via online and social media channels is crucial to spread the word about your upcoming in- store promotional activities – just be sure to make it clear that any promotional offers are exclusively being offered to customers in store!

At Plexus, we are your promotions specialist – if you need more information on the sorts of promotional activities to run to drive customers back in store, please get in touch at [email protected]. We also offer a range of promotional support services, such as drafting compliant Terms and Conditions, reviewing promotional artwork, conducting prize draws, verifying and notifying winners, publishing promotional Terms and Conditions and plenty more. Ready to submit your promotion with Plexus?