As a retailer, you need to keep records for years. Government regulations, legal needs, or even access to old customer data are all important! I sometimes had to access very old information just for commercial reasons 20+ years ago.

Now, have you thought about how long your digital records will last?

Sadly, the hard drives and discs we use aren't built for centuries like those old carvings archaeologists up to today. Let's look into long-term storage so you make the right choices.

What Lasts, What Doesn't, and How to Make it Better

• Cloud storage: Theoretically, it lasts forever, but there will be issues.
• Magnetic Tapes to the Rescue? These can, under ideal conditions, last a long time, but few of us actually have the specialised equipment. Besides, it's often a pain to use.
• Old fashion Hard Drives: Most work for about 3-7 years, although a lucky few last longer. For them to keep storing, you need to use them; otherwise, they deteriorate after about two years. 
• SSDs: Most SSDs won't outlive their 5-10-year warranties and, if left unused, will deteriorate faster than old-fashioned hard drives to refresh the data system
• Optical Discs: Please aim for quality; write-once media like Verbatim Gold have more extended longevity, and the cheaper ones have much less; for CDs and DVDs, you are looking depending on the type for 5 to 100 years. When I went to the Verbatim website and looked at their warranty here, I noticed that they only give two years, which does not include a data retention guarantee. The courts may have something to say about that, but few people want to have to argue this in court.

Most people today, when looking at very long-term storage, look at DVDs today as they are both convenient and economical if so: 

Protecting Your Precious Data on CDs and DVDs:

It depends on three main factors:

1) Have more than one backup. I would argue that you do not have a backup if you only have one backup. These two backups should be stored in different places so that if anything happens to one location, the other is safe elsewhere.

2)  You need good quality DVDs. There are good reasons why they are a bit dearer. This comes from a Canadian government study, which you can find here.

3) Environment matters!

Pick a place 

• Cool & Dry: Store items at around 20°C with about 40% humidity. Heat and humidity are the silent killers! This can be a problem as we often go above this in summer. Do you have a cellar? Avoid garages or attics where temperatures can swing wildly!
• The Dark Side: Store discs in cases out of direct sunlight. I put a sealed plastic bag over them.
• Peace & Quiet: Avoid putting the discs where they will be moved or dropped.

Cloud Storage

As the limitations of physical storage have become increasingly apparent, cloud storage emerges as a compelling solution for preserving your digital legacy. In theory, entrusting your data to a reputable cloud provider can overcome many of these problems.

Pros:

• Accuracy: Today, many Cloud storage providers offer an astonishing rate of accuracy in their storage capacity. One I saw doing an online search offering 99.999999999% (that's 11 9s!) data durability. That far exceeds the reliability of any physical media.
• Dispersed storage: Many Cloud providers will keep your data in many different geographically dispersed data centres, thus ensuring redundancy and resilience.
• Easy access: Your data is available on-demand from any internet-connected device, anytime, anywhere.

Cons:

• Cost: Generally, it costs, although many, like Google and Microsoft, do have a limited free plan.
• Future uncertainity: Considering the period of time we are looking at here, a cloud provider could go out of business, change its policy and who knows what.  
• Policy: Some cloud providers, e.g. Google, state that they "reserve the right to delete an inactive Google Account and its activity and data if you are inactive across Google for at least two years." So every two years, you have to go into your account to say hey, this account is still active. Its not a big ask but its not entirely setup and forget.
• Remembering passwords: Cloud accounts work through account names, passwords, and increasingly mobile numbers. Over the next 10 to 20 years, how will you remember these details? Will you have the same mobile number then? If someone else has access to your account and passwords then they also can get your data. 
• Control: In an overall sense you do lack control.
• Privacy concerns: Be aware of potential changes in data privacy laws or a provider's terms of service. Although few of my clients has an issue here now, the privacy laws are slowly turning to the idea that much data businesses stored must be held in Australia, not an issue now but who knows in 10 to 20 years. 

Still today Cloud storage does offers a tempting solution for long-term record keeping.

Summing up:

Overall my preference would be to burn two copies of my business records into a good quality DVD. Put them in my business records in a safe place in my house in a box as here

and put somewhere in a safe spot in my house. I would then put on a free sevice like Google a copy which I could access anytime, anywhere.

Want to get your data storage sorted? Contact us for a free consultation!

Running a shop can be a problem if you don't have much room.  This is a common problem as most of us have more stock than we can display. Don't let that hold you back! You can turn your shop into a sales machine by understanding your customers and applying clever design tricks.

Why Your Store Layout Matters

A well-designed store does more than look good. It caters to your target customers' needs, guides them effortlessly through your space, and highlights your best products. When customers feel comfortable and understood, they're more likely to find what they need, linger longer, and buy more!

Know Your Audience: The Key to Smart Layout Decisions

Before rearranging shelves, take time to understand your ideal customers. 

• Demographics: What's the age range, gender, and general lifestyle of your target shoppers? Guys are generally taller than women so that the items can be higher for them; for kids, the stuff must be right down low.
• Shopping Habits: Do they prefer browsing leisurely, or are they in-and-out shoppers? If they want speed, you need the items at the counter so they can come in, do the sale quickly and leave quickly. Also, do they tend to come in alone or with others?
• Pain Points: What problems do your products or services solve for them?

Your Secret Weapon: Your POS Data (and a Little Observation)

Your POS System can do much more than just be a simple cash register. It's full of clues about your customers and what they like to buy. 

Here's how you can use this data and watch what happens in your store to make smarter choices on how to arrange things:

Identifying Your Powerhouse Products

• Best Sellers Report: This tells you precisely what's performing well. Place these top performers front and centre for maximum visibility. 

Go to the top N stock report, which you can find in the Register reports.

We then put in a period, say the last two months; this will show you what is selling now, then when you have your list of best sellers nicely ordered by quantity, profit and sales.

Pay attention to the colors and sizes.

Think about using lights and signs to make them stand out more.

• Companion Sales Report: This report unveils items that are frequently purchased together. Placing them strategically throughout your store can boost sales. Think of how grocery stores place snacks near the drinks section.

Go to Sales-Register > Dissection Companion Sales by Period.

Try looking for an abnormally high number of products for other stuff that sells well with that department. It is beneficial as it can help you select a product to display prominently near a department. This is a well-known method of increasing incremental sales that all majors use.

You take items that sell well with the products of another department and place some of them in that other department's area. There is nothing wrong with a good seller having a few spots in the shop. 

Like this one, a stand of good sellers in a prominent position is always good.

As you can see here (green arrow), quite a few extra sales could be made by moving some other companies' chocolates close to Darrel Lea Chocolates. Darrel Lea may not like it, but ....

Another great use is more long-term. If grouped by department, you can get a feel of where you should position the display for the department. As you can see here by the green arrow, the books should be close to the stationery.

If people looking at your book can see your stationery, you may be able to make a few extra sales. 

These KPIs can give you ideas into which products to display prominently.

Traffic Patterns

Don't discount the insights you can gain by observing how customers move through your store. Are there areas that seem to get ignored? Do people get bottlenecked in a particular spot?  Are there areas that let the customer go too quickly? Use this information to fine-tune your layout.

Data-Driven Merchandising Strategies

Here are some practical ways to apply these insights:

• Highlight Bestsellers: Your top-selling items deserve prime real estate. Give them prominent shelf space, consider eye-catching displays, and enhance visibility with strategic lighting and signage.
• Promote Companion Products: Place items often bought together within easy reach.
• Seasonal Shifts: Adapt your layout based on historical sales data.
• Clearance Corner or Dump Bin: Designate a small "dump bin" area for heavily discounted items.  This is an excellent way of getting rid of dead stock.

More Tips for a Small-Space-Friendly Layout

• Embrace Vertical Storage: Use shelves, hooks, and racks to reach upwards.
• Let There Be Light: Good lighting makes your store inviting and highlights merchandise.
• Keep it Tidy: A well-organized shop feels bigger.
• Create an Illusion of more space: Light colours generally make a room feel bigger.
• Get Creative with Signage: Clear signage to advertise your products.

Case Study

• The Bookshop Upgrade: We had a client who sold books. He knew his customers loved to browse, so he arranged the bookshelves to create small, inviting nooks. He then put in a couple of comfortable chairs. This encouraged shoppers to linger and discover new titles.

Remember: It's an Ongoing Process

Trends change, and your customers' tastes evolve. Stay flexible, and don't be afraid to experiment!

The Bottom Line

By understanding your customers, using your data effectively, and getting a little creative, you'll create a retail environment that's welcoming, efficient, and drives sales – regardless of your square footage!

It appears the way people will pay is changing, and Australian retailers need to know. While not yet available in Australia, palm-based payment technology is gaining traction in the US. I see it appearing here soon.

What is Palm-Based Payment?

This technology links customers' unique vein patterns in palm prints to credit/debit cards. At checkout, a person whose palm is registered hovers their hand over a scanner. The scanner reads their vein structure and sends the details to the bank for payment authorisation. Such systems are already in use at select locations in the US. 

The Advantages for Retailers

• Seamless Transactions: Say goodbye to customers fumbling for cards or struggling to remember PINs.
• Time: Palm scanning offers faster transactions, saving shoppers and staff valuable time.
• Heightened Security: Biometric data is incredibly difficult to replicate, adding a robust layer of security and fraud protection. We now have a big problem with customers making transactions, paying by card, and then claiming it was not them. I had one client whose credit card was stolen, and by the time she found out, which was less than an hour, her card had been used in thousands of dollars of transactions.

The Disadvantages for Retailers

I confess I do not see any.

Still some issues to chew on would be:

• Cost: The readers may be expensive, and who pays for these palm scanners may be an issue.
• Integration: I do not see any potential integration issues with our point-of-sale systems, but if you do not use our POS System, you may want to make some enquiries.
• Privacy: I think we all feel a general uneasiness about our privacy. Mark Zuckerberg from Facebook once said the age of privacy is over, and he is probably right. Still, it's tough to accept this fact.
• Training: We all need to be trained on how to use it until we all get used to it. I can see someone using the wrong hand and not knowing why it is not working.

What Aussie Retailers Should Do

• Get Informed: Stay up-to-date on the latest developments in biometric payments.
• Monitor Customer Sentiment: Gauge your customers' comfort level with biometric technologies. Their openness will factor into adoption.
• Prepare for the Future: While immediate implementation is not necessary, consider how your payment infrastructure could adapt to support biometric options in the future.

The Takeaway

Palm-based payments and biometrics as a whole are set to transform the way we pay. While the timeline of widespread adoption in Australia is uncertain, being informed and prepared positions your retail business for success in this evolving landscape.

If you run a shop, one of the best ways to make more sales is by mastering cross-selling, which suggests extra related items to your customer's purchase. Doing this can help you make each sale worth more.

I can assure you that this woman above did not come to this centre knowing what she would buy in all these bags.

Why Suggesting Extra Items Works Well

Suggesting extra, related items to customers as they buy or browse can help because it:

Makes Shopping Better: When you suggest items that fit your customer's needs or likes, you show you understand them. 
Raises Sale Value: Customers buying more items means each sale brings in more money, which is great for your shop.
Keeps Customers Coming Back: Offering a shopping experience that feels special and tailored just for the customer makes them want to return to your store, building loyalty.

Digging Into the Good Stuff About Suggesting Extras

Suggesting extras can do wonders, but let’s look at some real examples of how it helps small shops:

More Money Made: Research shows that shops selling extra items can see a big jump in sales. 
More Profit: Suggesting items with higher profit margins as extras can mean more money in the bank. Most profit is made not on the items that the customer came on, but the add-on sales.
 

How to Be Great at Suggesting Extras

Use Your POS System

Go to Cash Register Reports > Sales Register > Stock Companion Sales by Period. See the green arrow below.

Choose a stock item, add its past year's data, and receive a full report on earnings, sales, and more.

This report will give you details on how much money the item made, how many were sold, and additional information. With this information, you can determine whether an item that sells slowly and doesn't bring in much money by itself draws in customers who then buy other items that make more money.

Pick Best Pairs: Find what items are often bought together and suggest these combos to customers.
Keep Getting Better: Always check how well your selling tactics work and tweak them based on what the numbers tell you.
 

Train Your Team

Your staff plays a big part in successful extra selling. Make sure they are:

Well-trained: Teach your team to ask for a related item, e.g. they brought a kid's game. Do they need a card?

Know Your Products Well: Help your team learn all about what you sell so they can suggest items that go well together.
 

Build People Skills: Teach your staff to really listen and talk in a way that feels real and helpful, making shopping fun for customers.
 

Know What Buyers Like: Understand what your shoppers prefer and use it to make your suggestions feel personal.

Easy Ways to Do It:

Scripts: Work out some lines that work with your customers to get them to consider other products and services you offer.
Lists: This works well. Make a list of your shop's top sellers and display it prominently; people will look at the products after seeing this list.

Make Your Shop Inviting

The way your shop looks and feels can help sell more, too. Try these ideas:

Put Things Together: Place items that go well together in the same spot so buyers can spot and grab them.
Make Displays Pop: Use eye-catching setups to draw attention to items that go together, nudging folks to buy more.
Signs and Tags: Clear signs can highlight special deals and suggest items that add value to their buy.
 

By using these ways to sell more, you will increase sales for your small shop, improve customer shopping, and turn them into loyal fans.

How Taylor Swift Concerts Rocked Retail Sales: Over 600,00 fans going to see her sent up retail sales alright! It turns out these "Swifties" (that's what her fans call themselves) bought big.

What does this mean for you?

It is said, " The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today." – Elbert Hubbard.

As this case shows, in the bustling world of retail, retail fervour unfolds if you are prepared and able to capitalise on it in some way.

There was plenty to capitalise on as Ben Dorber, Australia Bureau of Statistics head of retail statistics, highlights out here in their Feb 2024 report that while he was looking at the figures, "Seven sold-out Taylor Swift concerts in Sydney and Melbourne boosted retail spending this month, with over 600,000 Swifties flocking to these events. This increased spending on clothing, merchandise, accessories and dining out", a national increase of 0.2%.

So, as a retailer, here's the deal:

• Plan Ahead: Check calendars for big concerts, sporting matches, and festivals that will get wide media attention. 
• Get Creative: Tap into the excitement of those events. Offer event-themed merchandise or promotions that capture the excitement.

A Real-World Win 

I read how one clothing boutique near a concert venue offered "Swiftie Style" t-shirts and discounts for anyone showing a concert ticket. The result, their sales did well.

The Big Takeaway

Even if your business isn't a direct match with the event, don't miss the opportunity! The right planning and creativity can help boost your sales when a big event is staged. Remember, even a slight increase in sales or getting your shop's name in front of new customers can have a lasting positive impact on your business!

Traditional loyalty programs based solely on points have hit a plateau. This has been the subject of a webinar I attended, and I have read several articles about it. The problem is that almost every business now in Australia is doing it, so the problem is that a business program is now competing with so many companies that it is struggling to make its program noticed. 

For some businesses, points work brilliantly, and we have no reason to believe that a traditional program of buying eleven cards/coffee and the 12th is free would not work well in the future. 

However, many businesses need differentiation, which is why many loyalty programs are moving into personalisation! Its called CRM.

"Mass marketing is dead. Personalization is the new frontier for loyalty programs." 

Now, I am worried about this in my client base:

The Challenges of Personalization for Smaller Retailers

Many of my clients are not huge and will face the following problems.

• Limited Data: Unlike large corporations, they might not have vast troves of customer behaviour data.
• Experts: Access to sophisticated consultants is lacking; they are often too busy to attend the many conferences that discuss this to get ideas.
• Scale: It's tough to match the "wow" factor of rewards programs offered by big brands with extensive resources.
• Time: Large brands are willing to run at a loss for ages to establish their program.

Overcoming the Obstacles: Practical Solutions

We have what we have; we can only play the hand we have, so we need actionable strategies for small retailers to personalise their loyalty programs:

• Focus on Key Data: Your POS System collects the most valuable data points, e.g. purchase frequency and spending habits.
• Simple Personalization: Often simple ideas work well, e.g. birthday discounts and email alerts for new products based on previous purchases; if a parent buys back-to-school products from you, what is wrong next year sending the parent an email that you have back-to-school products?
• Local: Emphasize the genuine connection you have with the local community.
• Local SEO: Make sure you appear in the local Google search high up.
• The Human Touch: Enhance personalisation with handwritten thank you notes on your packing.

Affordable Tech to Boost Your Program

• Your POS as a CRM: Your Point-of-Sale systems include built-in customer relationship management tools that allow you to track data, send targeted promotions, and build customer profiles.
• Social Media Power: Please interact directly with your customers on social platforms such as Facebook (consider it free advertising).
• Email Marketing: Use email newsletters to tell people you exist. Let me know if you do not know how to do this, and I will point you through it.

Additional Tips:

• Be Adaptable: Don't be afraid to experiment and refine your rewards program based on what works for you.
• Are you an expert in something you sell?: If so why not run a short course? 

Conclusion

"Personalization is the heart of every successful business. Treat every customer as a unique individual, not a number."

Personalisation doesn't require breaking the bank or having massive amounts of data. You can start with meaningful steps and gradually build on them. Remember, genuine connection is the ultimate competitive edge! Take the first step, experiment with personalisation, and watch your loyal customer base grow.

As a guy who has worked for a top point-of-sale (POS) system company, I have over the years met and talked to many retailers and retail experts, so here are simple tips on how to increase sales in your physical store that I have learned. Whether it's a small shop or a larger local chain, these strategies can I think you help you draw in more customers and make more money.

Make Your Shop Front Inviting

The first thing customers see is your shop front. Make it welcoming. Think about:

• Please keep it clean: Have clean windows, a tidy entrance, and no mess around.
• Bright signs: Use clear signs for your shop name, open hours, and deals or sales.
• Seasonal decorations: Change your front display with the seasons to keep it fresh and exciting.

Click on this for some ideas

Improve the Shopping Experience

A great shopping experience keeps customers coming back. Here are some ideas:

Offer Top-Notch Customer Service

• Train your team: Ensure your staff knows their stuff and pays attention to what customers want. I have always been proud that many people can sell computers, but people who buy from me know that my staff knows computers. I recommend this philosophy to every shop. For example, a few days ago, I went to a toy shop to buy a present for a four-year-old boy. I really did not know what to buy, but the people serving were very professional and helped me. I would come back.
• Listen and fix problems: Take customer complaints seriously and resolve any issues quickly. A complaint is often a marketing opportunity. 
• Add a personal touch: Small things like saying hi by name or remembering what they like can make a big difference.

Display Products Well

• Set up items wisely: Put things that go together near each other and show off your best stuff where people can see it easily.
• Be creative with displays. Try different ways of showing products to grab attention, like themed setups or stacked items. 

Use Digital Ways to Boost Sales

Mixing online and in-person tactics can raise your sales. Think about this:

• Social media buzz: Use social media to discuss deals, showcase new items, and get people excited to visit. If you are missing out on this free advertising, you are not doing yourself much good.
• Collect emails: The purpose of a VIP club must be to get customers' emails to send them news and special offers. It's not that they will often take it up, but what is more important is that they know you exist.

Use your POS System

Unlike your memory, the facts in your POS System do not lie. 

• It watches what your customers do: Use data from your sales system to understand what people buy, like, and dislike.
• Keep the right items in stock: Use data to determine what people buy.

Seasonality and Inventory Turnover

It's important to note that a retailer's sales often fluctuate throughout the year due to seasonality and marketing seasons.

To manage these changes:

• Forecast: Use your historical sales data to anticipate peak and off-season inventory needs.
• Diversify Your Product Mix: Try to stress items that sell all year round; too often, I see retailers after a holiday stuck with stock that no longer sells. 
• Implement Promotional Strategies: Run sales and promotions during peak seasons to clear out remaining seasonal stock before the off-season starts and you are stuck with the stuff.

Putting these steps into action can really help your shop sell more and grow. The trick is always to be ready to change and try new things to ensure your customers' satisfaction.