This Month's Retail Tip
Tip # 1: Provide a Child Friendly Environment
The first step is to provide a safe, child friendly environment, allowing you to keep those customers in the store longer and provide them with a superior level of customer service.
Firstly, ensure there is a safe play option available to keep children occupied.
Chairs, tables, crayons and loose toys are not a good idea. They can be a choking hazard to children and a tripping hazard to adults, as well as being a nuisance to keep clean and tidy. You also have the ongoing cost of continual replacement. Unfortunately not all toys sold conform to Australian Standards either, which presents an added liability. So, stay away from the toy box full of one-armed Barbies and germ-ridden teddies. Not only is it a legal and OH&S threat to your business, it is more of an insult to your customers, rather than an attempt at great customer service.
You can find some options available at www.childfriendly.com.au or ask us about other play options available, such as interactive touch screens.
And don't forget, NSW Workcover will give you a 50% rebate when you buy a safer play solution for your store. Ask us how to go about applying (we've done all the form-filling for you!)
Case Study
Esprit is one Australian retailer that has embraced the “child friendly” concept
and seen results in their bottom line.
The company has tried many different ideas for occupying children over the
years, and understands the importance of attracting mums to their stores and keeping them there by having something in store to occupy children. Esprit installed commercial Play Panels in some of their stores in 2005.
Because their children are safely occupied, mothers tend to stay in the store longer, resulting in
additional sales for the store.
Apart from the benefit of increased sales, staff are more productive because they are doing what they’re trained to do – sell and look after customers – rather than pick up toys and act as unofficial child wranglers!
Esprit store's used to provide a box of toys with Esprit now has a safe, colourful, tidy play
a table and chairs which were messy and solution
posed a hazard
Next month's tip . . . Training Your Staff to Use the Play Solution as a Sales Tool
**** If you would like your retail store to be profiled in next month's newsletter, please contact Michelle Barraclough michelle@childfriendly.com.au. We'd love to hear all about your business!
