A grand opening is an opportunity for your retail store to make a splash, grab attention, and wow customers. You want to make a big impression on the community, so you can bring in customers and encourage ongoing patronage and trusted referrals.
To get the most out of your grand opening, it’s important to prepare properly. This means finding ways to make the local community aware of your existence, the date of your grand opening, and reasons why consumers should attend.
Prepping your retail space and training employees is a priority, but you also have to get people in the door, and this requires a comprehensive marketing and promotional strategy. Here are just a few tactics you should employ when it comes to spreading the word about your grand opening.
Flyers
Posting flyers on community bulletin boards, in public spaces, and on windshields is a great way to reach consumers in the places they visit daily, or connect with them directly. It can also be relatively inexpensive compared to, say, broadcast advertising.
Signage
You’ve likely chosen a retail location at least in part because it is on a busy street or in a large shopping center that is visible to automobile and/or foot traffic. This means you have an opportunity to attract attention with your signage.
Your ability to display signage may depend on your location and your lease, but if possible, you should prominently display a “grand opening” banner on your storefront in the days leading up to your grand opening. You might also place banners, flags, or other signage (sandwich boards, placards, etc.) at parking lot entrances, or even on nearby street corners, if allowed.
These attention-grabbing tactics will direct consumers to your store and alert them of your impending event, helping to garner interest and keep the public informed.
Local Ads
Only so many people will happen by your store location and see your signage, and you can’t hope to reach everyone with flyers. The next step, then, is to engage in local advertising by placing ads in local publications (both newspapers indie zines) and creating broadcast advertising (radio spots and television commercials).
Don’t forget to engage in online marketing, as well, by advertising with community pages and creating geo-targeted ads through Google, Facebook, and more.
Promotional Appearances
Promoting your store in person may have more impact and allow greater opportunity to connect with consumers in your area, so see if you can find ways to participate in community events leading up to your grand opening. Think about showing up for school job fairs, sponsoring a local sports team, or participating in and donating to charity events.
Soft Open
Many businesses conduct a soft open prior to their grand opening to get their business up and running, iron out the kinks, and see what shoppers think of their store. If you play your cards right, you can also gain social media followers, garner reviews, and encourage referrals to improve your odds of a good turnout during your grand opening.
Preparing for success with your grand opening requires a variety of marketing and promotional tactics, including print, broadcast, and online advertising. When you spread the word, you increase your odds of a productive grand opening.
If you’re a Specialty Store Services Customer who would like more information on Signage and Custom Signage, they can be found on our website, Specialty Store Services, and if you have a question that you would like an immediate answer you can Live Chat, or phone us at 800-999-0771.