Let’s be honest: times are tough. The war in Ukraine, the climate problems, the turmoil in an economy that has not yet recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic… These are all factors that have set in motion an avalanche of rising prices, falling value of currency, and general pessimism. The retail crisis is looming.
One would like to hide under the duvet and wait in blissful hibernation for the situation to improve. But alas! Trade won’t run itself, and with so many problems on our minds, we probably wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway.
That is why every retail chain manager or shop owner spends sleepless nights working out how to cut the costs of running an outlet so that the rising prices do not frighten customers away.
This is where we come in, all dressed in white, because we have long since developed several ways in which you can reduce the cost of doing business.
Way 1: Energy-efficient and sustainable solutions
The cost of energy sources has shot up, and with it the price of electricity and fuel. There is no way around this – you have to pay if you want a heated shop and illuminated shelves. Is there something that you can do to pay less?
There is!
You can invest in modern and energy-efficient retail furniture! The racks manufactured by Perfecta are equipped with Eco LED lighting, which consumes 1/3 less electricity while maintaining similar light parameters. Given that the rack is illuminated for 18 hours, 6 days a week, this translates into real savings! And let’s not forget that in most retail outlets there is more than one illuminated shelving unit!
It is a simple and sure way to generate real savings and, at the same time, a method of making your business less burdensome for the environment. The retail furniture manufactured by Perfecta is designed to be durable and last for many years. And if we multiply these years by the number of hours the lighting is on each day, it turns out that by simply investing in Eco LED lighting, we are able to generate several hundred tonnes of CO2 less!
The planet likes it!
You can read more about how we design our furniture here: https://perfecta-retail.com/sustainable-design-process/
And speaking of durability, investing in well-made and durable racks is always a good idea. Perfecta’s retail furniture is designed to be robust but also easy to modify. Thus, throughout its long life, the shelving unit will serve to display all kinds – and sizes – of products! See our retail furniture: https://perfecta-retail.com/our-products/store-shelving-systems/
Way 2: Increasing the range and availability of goods
The more choice given to the customer, the more likely they are to leave their money with us – that much is obvious. But how can this be done? Shop space is not made of rubber – it will not stretch. Sure, you can add more racks and then watch customers trying to get past each other in the cramped aisles cursing under their breath and bumping into each other with trolleys. This may even be fun if you like this kind of entertainment, but in the long run it carries the risk that customers will vote with their feet and simply stop coming in.
On top of this, there is the issue of the width of the aisles between the rows – the first fire safety inspection will quickly put an end to our ideas about adding shelves and may also issue a fine, which multiplied by the number of outlets in the chain can become a huge problem.
So, what to do?
We have an answer (or even two) to that.
First, if you want to add more shelves, it is a good idea for them to be of a size that will not take up too much space. A helpful solution are the free-standing Perfecta retail displays, which can be placed practically anywhere.
In addition, with their modular design and the availability of accessories they are easy to adapt to a specific type of product. Their aesthetic and clever construction make them particularly suitable for the sale of premium products, on which, after all, the sales margins are the highest.
They also have a marketing function, as their design provides space for visual communication. Find out more about our free-standing store shelving systems: https://perfecta-retail.com/our-products/store-shelving-systems/
The second answer, which will particularly appeal to managers of retail outlets where some goods are sold directly from pallets, are Perfecta’s over-pallet shelves.
They are a solution to a problem that often occurs in the pallet area, which is the lack of communication space, space for labels and marketing messages. With our over-pallet shelving, the outlet not only gains this space, but also gets the opportunity to sell complementary products more easily, for example cornflakes arranged over a pallet of milk.
This is a real gain and an increase in cross-selling opportunities, especially as the shelves’ mobility makes them easy to use in a variety of changing configurations and place where they are most needed. This makes them one of the most cost-effective ways to increase sales space and reach customers with your marketing message. Find out more about them here: https://perfecta-retail.com/product/over-pallet-shelving/
Conclusion
It is said that every crisis is an opportunity. A chance to make positive changes that will ensure that when the difficult times pass, we are stronger and better prepared than before. With Perfecta’s retail furniture, chains and retail outlets increase their chances of surviving the crisis in good shape, hitting the ground running and growing further.
I have introduced you to 2 of the 4 ways you can show the crisis who is the boss. You will get to know another 2 in the second part of the article. See you there: https://perfecta-retail.com/4-ways-to-tackle-the-retail-crisis-part-2/!
