Summer is here and with the golden sunshine comes golden opportunities to reverse the winter sales gloom and make a new start on bringing the customers in and boosting sales.
There is no denying that the news lately hasn’t been good, with takings on the high street down, Christmas sales low and credit levels in crisis. But there are a few good indicators that the independent retailer who plays their cards right could see a reversal in fortune over the next year.
Recent headlines have focused on the negative aspect of clone towns, town centres all looking alike because they have the same shop-chains selling the same selection of products. It seems a backlash has started and increasingly people are coming to value smaller stores that have a more personal feel and they can see as their own.
When it comes to tool sales other factors also mean that there is a strong customer base to be tapped into and made the most of. House sales are slowing down, after the selling and price rise frenzy of recent years people are beginning to settle for the houses they have. This often means new decorating and finishing to make the home they are in as good as it can be, rather than going on the hunt for a new one.
Regional factors also play a part. In Scotland a recent report has shown that there are higher levels of consumer confidence in Scotland, partly due to the lower house prices and declining unemployment in the country. Of course this doesn’t apply across the UK but does show that reports of a retail slowdown are not 100 per cent true and that all kinds of opportunities exist.
That’s the background but the main question - the one this article sets out to answer - is: How can an independent tool retailer make the most of the market and maximise on sales?

Uniquely You
The biggest strength any independent retailer has is individuality, being known by your name, not just as a business. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you have to compete directly with the huge warehouse based retail chains, you have several advantages they don’t.
For many customers the variety of tools available and the subtle distinctions of what is right for what job is just a confusing mass of unintelligible information. These customers would rather deal with you - an intelligent adult with an in depth knowledge and experience of the range of products stocked - than with the spotty teenager with no specialist knowledge the major chain has employed because he will work for pocket money.
It is fairly obvious that this individual approach is in your favour, but the advantages don’t stop there. It also means that you are likely to recognise your regular customers and maybe even know them by name. Building these relationships will pay dividends, helping you to find out what your customers think you are doing right or wrong. It will also give you a clearer picture of exactly what the customer base is in your area: Are they mostly professionals or DIYers? Do they mainly want top end, expensive products or are they bargain hunters? This can help getting the stock right and also to display the stock you have to get the maximum results.
It is also a good idea to build a database of good customers, post them details of special offers, new ranges or anything else that may interest them and draw them back to the store more often. This can be more effective than spending a fortune advertising to customers you do not know, because you can be sure the recipient already has an interest in what you have to offer.

Publicity Seeking
If customers don’t know about your business, or even where it is then all your expertise is going to waste. Most independent tool retailers get into the business because of a love of the product and the worlds of publicity and advertising are strange ones that they don’t really want to have to get involved in and often don’t believe they can afford. But cost needn’t be a major factor, and self publicity is an inevitable part of making a business work.
So what are the no-cost/low-cost options? Well they all relate to something else that is an important factor for an independent retailer, the community they are part of. If there is a local village or school fete where you are see if you store can have a stall giving practical demonstrations. Give regular demonstrations, or even one of evening classes in the store itself. But whatever you do make sure the local press know about it, they may not want to attend, or even take their own photos, but you can. Most local papers are happy to receive press releases from small local businesses that are doing something out the ordinary. Just write a couple of hundred words covering all the basics, plus a phone number for the paper to contact you if it wants, and a photo, make the quality as good as you can but it doesn’t have to be taken by a professional.
Make sure there is always something going on at the store, and publicise it in whatever way you can afford, flyers, a placard, adverts in the local press or radio are, of course good if you can afford them. Give your business a clear brand, maybe even a logo and make sure it is the first thing on anyone’s mind when they want to purchase a tool. When you go anywhere make sure you have business cards, or information about the shop and don’t be shy about handing them out, people may want to discuss a DIY job they are doing, and if you impress them with your know how it is likely they will shop with you.

Closing The Deal
Of course there are many other tricks to help make things easier, joining buying groups and seeking out manufacturer discounts, for example, and pick up on what the competition is doing. In the end it is all about imagination and energy, not just sitting in a shop amongst the stock hoping it will sell. Even when you think you have done everything you can there will be another trick to try that will help even more.
Keep it fresh, always have new offers and new displays, make sure the customers you have are noticing your full range and spending as much as they should. Doing well is about getting customers in to the shop and making sure each of them buys everything they need while they are there.
Whether times are good or bad it is the way you run your business that will make the difference between success or failure.

Useful Websites
British Retail Consortium
www.brc.org.uk
British Shops and Stores Association
www.british-shops.co.uk
Other sites
www.businesslink.gov.uk
www.dti.gov.uk/bestpractice
www.smallbusiness.co.uk