Some dollar store shoppers are fickle in their shopping habits. They will begin wandering around your store. They’ll pick up an item to purchase as they go down an aisle only to change their mind. Rather than returning the item to its rightful home they’ll drop it where they stand. Sometimes that means it is placed on a display shelf. In other cases it might mean the item now sits on the floor in the middle of the aisle awaiting another shopper to step on it or worse yet, trip on the item. Not only does this create an appearance that makes your store unkempt and poorly organized, but it actually creates safety hazards for your shoppers, employees, and others who come into your store. Don’t allow this to go unattended when you are opening a dollar store. In this article I present 5 store walk-through tactics for success when opening a dollar store.

1) Develop and document a store walk-through procedure for your store. Let’s define a store walk-through. It is simply a process where an employee moves from one corner of your store to the other. They walk aisle-by-aisle picking up misplaced items and returning them to their rightful location. You may also want to have employees sweep or vacuum areas where excess dirty has accumulated at the same time. When opening a dollar store expect there to be a need to periodically walk through your store to replace items that are not in their designated location and to spot sweep or vacuum. Document a process to be followed by employees who are assigned store walk-through duties. Hold employees responsible to complete the process you have developed and documented.

2) Train every employee on walk-throughs as a part of their initial orientation. Once you’ve documented your procedure, then train all existing employees about the process you want followed. Be sure they understand the importance of the job and the potential consequences to sales and safety when walk-throughs are not done properly. Once all existing employees are trained, make this training a part of the initial orientation for all new employees.

3) Schedule regular, routine times for store walk-throughs. Make it easier to manage this process by designating regular times and owners for walk-throughs throughout the business day. Be sure to have back-up plans where appropriate to prevent sales and customer service from suffering during walk-through times. Please note; cashiers often appreciate being scheduled for walk-throughs as a means of getting a break from their cashier duties. Also, don’t forget to adjust the frequency during the busier holidays.

4) Use store walk-throughs as a means of returning left-over, un-purchased merchandise back where it belongs. Just as some customers will change their mind and drop products throughout the store, they will change their mind at the cash register. When opening a dollar store one of your goals is to maintain a clean and clutter-free cash register area. Use store walk-throughs as a time to replace items that have been left at the cash registers.

5) Reward employees for keeping your store looking at its best at all times. If you are serious about store cleanliness, then reward employees who adhere to store walk-through guidelines. Recognize their diligence by acknowledging it on their performance reviews. Consider implementing an employee of the month recognition program that includes store walk-throughs as one of the criteria. Your recognition will be rewarded with more focus on maintaining a clean store.

Maintaining a clean, clutter-free environment can contribute to overall store safety. A warm, welcoming store environment will also often help persuade shoppers to stay in your store longer. The longer they stay, the more they are likely to spend. If you are opening a dollar store invest the time and effort to keep your store in top shape at all times.

To your dollar store business success!

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