"Woo existing customers than attracting new ones"

KEEP AN EYE ON THE ENTRY:  In malls, concentrate on the customer entry point and direct promotions to mall customers. If you are on a high street, ensure your façade signboard is well-designed and brightly lit and you have an attractive show window with the latest merchandise or tactical messaging.

ENSURE REPEATS: Depending on the category of merchandise you deal with and the frequency of customer entry, add a promotion or an attraction to ensure the customer comes back. If a customer buys trousers, offer him a special price on a shirt if he visits within 45 days.

REMEMBER SPECIAL DAYS:  Give a special offer to customers and their spouses on birthdays/anniversaries. Create special days such as ‘father and daughter day out with Barbie’ or ‘father and son day out with Playstation’, depending on the category of merchandise. 

CATER TO THEIR INTERESTS: Create special knowledge-sharing sessions for customers that end with a coupon sponsored by a brand. For instance, organise a cookery session followed by a special offer by Prestige or a session with a tech guru ending with free downloads of a popular app sponsored by HP. 

STAY IN TOUCH: Call your customers and inform them regularly of product launches that will be of interest to them. Remember, it’s more beneficial to get an existing customer to come back than attracting a new one.