Today there are basically two types of shop: the shop made of bricks and mortar that you physically can go into and the virtual online shop. Both have advantages and disadvantages so, if you are trying to find a shop or you plan to open a shop or you simply want to improve the business of your existing shop then here are some hints as to what makes a great shop.

Points that apply to both bricks & mortar and online shops
  • A shop of any sort should be welcoming, friendly and inviting and should provide customers with a pleasant, enjoyable shopping experience otherwise they may not stay very long and will almost certainly not visit it again.
  • A good shop should have an excellent range of stock and either cater for all types of customers or it should be targeted at one specific type of customer. For example, some exclusive, designer shops have a limited range of stock at the high end of the market while others base their business on providing a wider choice of goods at the lower end of the market. Both types of shop can work well if they are marketed correctly.
  • In general terms, prices are important. For 'commodity' items that are widely available, most people will compare the price of an item in at least a couple of different shops and buy it for the cheapest price they can find. So, make sure that your prices are competitive.
  • Everyone likes a bargain so price reductions and sales are a great way to encourage business.
  • Prices should be clearly displayed to allow the customer to browse around the shop and can readily identify the price of any item so they don't get any nasty surprises when they reach the checkout.
  • All good shops should have a policy that the customer is always right, even when they aren't. The customer likes to think that he or she is getting a good service and that the shop values their custom and wants to try to help.
  • Different payment options should be available such as debit or credit card, cheque, or, in the case of high street shops only, cash.
  • A good shop should have a clear and fair returns policy so that a customer can return an item under clearly defined circumstances and obtain a refund or an exchange with minimum fuss and effort. The Distance Selling Directive imposes some obligations on online retailers in this regard which exceed those of the high street.
Points that apply to 'real shops'
  • One of the big advantages of a real shop on the high Street is that they have real shop assistants that can be asked for help and advice. However, the presence of shop assistants can also be a big disadvantage. We have all come across staff who are far too busy gossiping and filing their nails with the result that they appear unapproachable. Assuming you can manage to attract their attention without actually running over their feet with a shopping trolley, you may well be met with stunning levels of disinterest and a complete lack of knowledge as to the shop's products -- and many can't even be bothered to find out the answer. So, make sure that your staff are helpful, friendly, well trained in the details of the range of products stocked as well as being proficient in all processes such as packaging goods, refunding or exchanging goods. Also, make sure that they aren't too overbearing: being followed around and asked every two minutes whether this is something you need help with is just as off-putting as complete indifference.
  • It can be necessary, depending on the nature of the shop, to allow the customer to try some of the goods. For example, a clothes shop should always have changing rooms where clothes can be tried on, a music shop can offer the facility to listen to CDs or DVDs and a food or drink shop can allow customers free tastings.
Points that apply to an online shop
  • The first impression that a customer gets of an online shop is often the home page so this should have considerable time and effort spent on it. The homepage should allow the customer to easily 'enter' the shop and it should provide relevant information without being too busy or confusing.
  • Once in the shop, the customer should be able to easily find what they want so a good navigation system / menu is essential. Products should be sub-divided into different categories and a good search facility is also essential. It should be possible to search in different ways such as by price range, colour, size, manufacturer etc.
  • Detailed information about each product should be provided, such as the dimensions, the materials from which it is made and in some cases perhaps a zoom facility to see parts of the product enlarged. Because the web is, to some extent, 'two dimensional', images matter a great deal in purchasing decisions.
  • Customers need to be assured that the method of payment is safe and secure otherwise with the use of a respected payment gateway and SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology. A page on safe online shopping never goes amiss.
  • You should be able to browse around the shop without having to give any personal details until you actually reach the final steps of the purchase process.
  • Many online shops recognise that value of asking customers if they would like to be placed on a mailing list to receive regular updates and details on special offers -- but this should only be done with the specific consent of the customer and ideally only once a purchase has been made and an account thus created.
We all shop. The majority of us now also shop online and there are predictions that suggest this will become the preferred means of shopping for most over the next 10-20 years. Whether you are looking for a local shop, or own one or you are considering opening or improving an online shop, there are a good many factors to consider beyond the basics of price, product and promotion. Retailing has always been a competitive field. You can multiply the level of competition many times over when looking at the online market place. If a shop is to survive in the high street or the web, it must become not only customer and service centric but simply, a great place to shop.
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