E-commerce Has Changed the Face of Retail. How Do You Change with It?

Brick and mortar stores are closing down in record numbers. Retail business open and within a couple of years, if they are lucky, they are closed and nearly forgotten. Yet, people are shopping. They are just shopping online. E-commerce has completely changed how consumers shop. The question you shoudl be asking is not how to combat the E-commerce competition, but how to join the revolution and build your sales online and in your retail location.

Do You Have a Working E-Commerce wesbite?

The answer to this question should be “absolutely!” You cannot hesitate and you cannot afford to go without. The big box stores offer online and in-store shopping experiences. This allows the retailers to attract new consumers who only shop online, and keep those consumers who like the real life experience of touching and feeling what they are buying.

The big corporate stores, as a result, do not go out of business so quickly. Rather than fight the trend, join it. Offer an e-commerce website that allows shoppers to shop online, pick up in store, and even pay in-store, if they desire. Make sure you also make sure they can buy and ship from the e-commerce site. Keeping an active e-commerce website will help keep your business in the forefront of the customers mind and attract customers from all over the world.

Offer Site-to-Store Pickup

The next question on your mind is likely going to be, “How to I get customers to still come into my shop and buy in my store?” Of course you want your store to flourish. However, in the world where e-commerce is taking over, it is essential to play the game, not fight the system. One of the best ways to get online shoppers into your store is to offer site-to-store pickup that allows them to waive the shipping fees. strategically place your site-to-store pickup counter in a location of the store in which customers will have to walk past your best selling items so they can begin to see what the store has to offer that may not be available online. It is surprising how often the site-to-store pickup brings new customers into a location and those new customers begin to buy from the actual retail location as well as online.

Make Sure Your Merchant Services Can Keep UP

Finally, how you accept payment can make a large difference in helping your business thrive both online and on land. You need to have a merchant services provider that allows for secured online payments as well as in store payments. One helpful tip is to offer the ability to pay at pickup with a credit card. People may choose to continue to shop in the store and then will be able to make one purchase instead of two smaller purchases. As a merchant, this also helps keep your processing fees lower. The key is to make sure your merchant services are trustworthy and will nto break down as business picks up.

If you are in need of an updated merchant services provider that can keep up with the fast-paced world of e-commerce and the addition of land-based retail, contact the experts at Tanker Consulting Services today!