Five Ways to Increase Retail Sales by Using Shopping Baskets
As ubiquitous to shops as carrier bags and barcodes, the humble shopping basket is much more than just a convenient container for customers to carry their items in. When utilised strategically, shopping baskets can become a powerful asset that will help you to boost your sales from a surprisingly small initial investment. In this blog, we’re looking at the often-overlooked importance of shopping baskets and providing you with five effective ways to easily boost your bottom line.
The Importance of Shopping Baskets
Shopping baskets, particularly plastic shopping baskets, play a crucial role in the shopping experience by offering convenience and ease to customers. They allow shoppers to gather items without the hassle of carrying them, encouraging them to explore more products and make additional purchases. Moreover, plastic shopping baskets are lightweight, durable and easy to handle, while other types of shopping baskets can add character and style to your store – and they do it while providing a practical solution for customers. Recognising the significance of shopping baskets is the first step towards maximising their impact on your sales.
Five Ways Using Shopping Baskets Can Increase Sales
These five quick and easy-to-implement ideas will ensure you get the very most from your shopping basket investment:
Place Baskets Throughout the Store:
We’ve all done it – popped to the shops to buy one thing and ended up with an armful of items that are in danger of spilling onto the floor! To maximise the sales potential of your shopping baskets, it is therefore vital to place them throughout your shop, not just by the entrance. By having baskets readily available in various locations, customers can easily access them when needed, leading to a more convenient shopping experience. Of course, this also encourages customers to buy more items, boosting sales.
Make Sure Your Store Is Basket-Friendly:
Creating a basket-friendly store environment is essential. Designate visible and easily accessible areas where customers can find and return your shopping baskets. Ensure these areas are free from obstructions and signposted. Ensure your baskets fit onto your checkout equipment too. Here at VKF Renzel, we don’t just sell the baskets but the ancillary items such as basket stackers and basket trollies that you’ll need too. By making it effortless for customers to locate and pick up a shopping basket, you subtly enhance the shopping experience and increase the likelihood of additional purchases.
Use The Right Size Basket for Your Business:
Selecting the appropriate shopping basket size is crucial in optimising the customer experience. Consider factors such as store layout, product offerings and customer demographics when determining the basket sizes to offer. Standard plastic shopping baskets may be suitable for customers who make frequent visits to your store to buy daily essentials, while larger plastic shopping baskets cater to those who prefer larger shopping trips. Aligning basket sizes with your customers' needs enhances their comfort and satisfaction, translating into increased sales.
Train Staff to Hand Out Baskets:
In so many ways, well-trained and attentive staff can make a significant difference to the customer experience. Why not train your employees to proactively offer shopping baskets to customers who appear to be struggling with their shopping or are carrying multiple items? This personalised approach demonstrates excellent customer service and facilitates a smoother shopping journey, encouraging customers to browse and potentially make additional purchases now that they can carry significantly more.
Add Special Offers to The Basket:
Take advantage of the moment when customers return their shopping baskets by inserting special offers and promotional literature for the next customer. By including flyers, coupons or product samples in shopping baskets, you create an opportunity to capture customers' attention and entice them with additional purchases. This simple tactic can lead to impulse buying and increased sales while leaving a lasting impression on customers.
Which Type of Shopping Basket Should I Buy?
Choosing the right size basket for your business is crucial, as we’ve already discussed. But consider too what material you’d like to have your baskets made from. Plastic shopping baskets are the most affordable, and for the environmentally conscious we stock a range of recycled plastic shopping baskets. Classic metal wire shopping baskets are a long-lasting evergreen addition to any store, while for a touch of style and character, we also stock robust wicker shopping baskets that would be ideal for smaller stores, farm shops and bakeries.
Ultimately, understanding your customer base and tailoring your basket selection accordingly ensures an optimal shopping experience and increases the likelihood of higher sales.
VKF Renzel: Complete Shopping Basket Solutions
Shopping baskets can be so much more than just functional tools, they are valuable assets for increasing retail sales. By strategically placing baskets throughout the store, creating a basket-friendly environment, using the right size baskets, training staff to assist customers and capitalising on basket returns for promotions, you can enhance the shopping experience and drive sales growth.
For all your shopping basket and retail equipment needs, you can rely on VKF Renzel as your trusted specialist. Visit our website today to explore our entire range of shopping baskets and equipment, as well as our enormous selection of POS equipment designed to optimise your merchandising efforts.
Contact us on 01527 878311 or email sales@vkf-renzel.co.uk for any further assistance and a member of our dedicated team will answer your queries and help you find the perfect equipment for your business.