Boost sales by 300% with our retail audit software
We know what you’re thinking. How can you possibly boost sales by 300% with one single app? It does sound too good to be true, but it is possible. So let’s get right into it.
We’re going to tell you exactly how one of our clients achieved this mind-blowing result. Then you can discover what our retail software consists of, why it’s so impactful and how it works.
What is retail audit software
Retail audit software houses all the features and capabilities a retail operations manager needs to do their job in the best way possible. It uses a multi-dimensional approach to target all the challenges that arise when trying to run multiple retail estates.
These challenges include
Struggling to enforce a consistent customer journey
Not having a structured format for store visits
Not getting clear insights from your store visits
Having poor in-store execution
Setting tasks and them not being completed
Not having training that’s aligned to in-store performance
So, before we dive into how our retail audit software solves these common pain points, let’s chat about how it helped one customer boost their sales by 300%.
The client’s background
The client was a large well-known UK retailer that boasted an operating income of £83.1 million. They have over 2,000 stores in the UK, so as you can imagine, managing their retail operations was no easy feat.
Why they needed help
They were interested in trying the app to streamline their operations which were especially difficult to manage during busy periods like Christmas.
They deployed the retail audit software across their stores and got their managers to carry out quick staff observations right on the shop floor. These were completed daily, and soon enough the insights became clear. The majority of their shop floor sales associates weren’t upselling to their customers.
The resolution
Upselling was an important element of their customer journey so it was shocking that so many employees were failing to meet the standard. When head office became aware of the issue they reported back to their store managers letting them know it was mandatory for their sales associates to offer an upsell.
The store managers let their staff know and carried on with their staff observations using the app. Soon enough the sales numbers began to rise and after just 60 days of using the retail audit software, they increased their sales by a huge 300%.
The retail audit software gave them a clear and guided path of what they needed to fix in order to achieve the results they wanted. Being able to then use the app to enforce the desired behaviours ensured that the changes were made.
A detailed overview of how our retail audit software can increase sales
Following on from the pain points mentioned previously, let’s take a look at how our platform solves those issues in more detail.
Enforcing a consistent customer journey
A consistent customer journey (that’s good) is the key to any successful business. In fact, companies that lead in customer experience outperform laggards by nearly 80%. Not to mention that 73% of companies with above-average customer experience perform better financially than their competitors.
However, enforcing a consistent journey is easier said than done. Our retail audit software makes it effortless to enforce one by equipping your managers with speedy digital forms that entail which steps their sales associates need to follow. They can fill it out in seconds from any mobile device allowing them to review the behaviour of their employees on the shop floor. They can then easily see which members of staff are following the journey and which need a little help.
Not having a structured format for store visits
Store visits are an impactful exercise which can provide tremendous insight to head office but unfortunately, many retail ops managers aren’t using them to their full potential. A lot of managers visit their stores with no clear guidance or structure around what they want to find out and what they need to improve. This can lead to hours of wasted time and no useful information for head office to receive.
Our retail audit software rectifies these common issues by providing your regional managers with a digital ‘store visit questionnaire’ that they can effortlessly complete from their mobile or tablet device. This means they can uncover the moments that matter and spend their time in-store building an environment that improves the customer experience, enhances the employee experience and supports growing sales.
Not getting clear insights from your store visits
Following on from the point above, because your area managers are now all collecting information around the same topics. This allows you to build up comprehensive insights that convey a solid understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of your stores overall.
For example, you may notice that you have a company-wide training issue around upselling because your insights told you so. Or perhaps, your store cleanliness isn’t up to par for all the stores located in the South-East.
Whatever the issues are, our retail audit software makes it quick to spot them so you can prevent them from worsening. This will save you time and money in the long term.
Having poor in-store execution
Providing an exceptional in-store experience is crucial because of the high competition retailers are facing online. Brick-and-mortar stores can’t afford to have poor in-store execution because on the increasingly rare occasion that customers visit their stores, they need to persuade them to buy and at the very least, leave them with a great impression of their brand.
Our retail audit software bridges the gap between the shop floor and head office, making it quick and easy for senior staff to see the current state of a store.
Store managers simply carry out their audit, taking pictures and setting tasks as they go. Once they’ve submitted their report it will be available for all of head office to see.
Tasks that you set aren’t being completed
With so many people to manage, it’s inevitable that tasks are going to be forgotten about or missed. This can be incredibly frustrating for retail ops managers because it can dramatically slow progression down.
Our retail audit software closes this loop by allowing managers to set tasks ‘in the moment’. This means corrective actions no longer slip a busy manager’s mind, get lost in emails, or are forgotten on post-it notes in the back office.
Sales training isn’t aligned to performance on the shop floor
For sales training to be effective it needs to be aligned with current performance on the shop floor.
For example, there is no point in sending out a bulk email for staff to complete ‘cross-selling training’ when 70% of employees are already very good at cross-selling.
Customers use our software to tailor training to the needs of the employee. They can do this by carrying out staff observations, from there, they can see what the employee needs to work on and set actions in the app for what training they need to complete.
For example, they may notice that an employee isn’t very confident when approaching customers and it’s affecting their rate of sales. They could then set them a task to complete the customer welcome training to boost their self-esteem and increase their knowledge in this area.
Closing the gaps
To summarise, retail audit software works to close the gaps between the shop floor, sales associates and head office. It makes it obvious which areas need improving and provides the tools and tracking capabilities to ensure the right changes are made.
If you’re looking for retail software that can make a real difference to your business, get in touch for a demo today. Join the likes of Victoria’s Secret, Virgin Media & 02, Tesco Mobile and Next.
