5 Exterior Factors Stopping People From Visiting Your Retail Business

Why aren’t people visiting your retail business? You may point to economic factors and look at things like the rise in online shopping as the reason for this. And yet, many retail businesses still manage to thrive in the current economic climate. Why are they able to do it while you struggle to get people through the door? 

You could, naturally, look at all sorts of additional factors – but many retail businesses fail because of exterior issues that stop consumers from visiting their store. We’re talking about aspects outside of your business that may dissuade individuals from popping in, so let’s look at what some of the biggest problems are. 

Bad Signage

Those of you who’ve read our blog post on brick-and-mortar marketing blunders will know that signage was mentioned as one of the first points. Weak or missing signage makes it difficult for potential customers to find your business, which is likely a big reason behind the lack of foot traffic. 

You need bold and clear signs out front that make your retail store stand out and be the first thing people see in a crowded street or retail park. You also need signs away from your business that point people to your location. Work on your sign game and you should see more daily visitors, simply because people are aware of your existence for once. 

Inadequate Parking

Depending on where your business is located, inadequate parking can be a serious challenge. This is especially true if other businesses around you have car parks or designated parking spaces for customers. It makes it harder for people to visit your retail store because they don’t know where to park. 

You need to make their lives more convenient, which means seeking parking solutions. If there’s space for a car park on your premises, then you need to implement one. If you already have a car park, then use good car park management practices to make it safer and more efficient. A lack of parking can be such a simple thing that turns people away from your business, so don’t neglect it!  

A Horrible Exterior Store Design

Nine times out of ten, retail businesses struggle to attract customers because of the exterior design. Running a retail business is all about making excellent first impressions, and this starts with how your store looks from the outside. You can spend money making the inside of your store look fantastic and have the most efficient layout to generate sales, but that’s irrelevant if people never step foot inside. 

The outside of your store arguably matters more, so work on creating a much better exterior design. Things that can turn people away from your retail store include: 

• Graffiti on your walls
• Grimey windows and a general dirtiness
• Old-fashioned-looking exterior design
• Poor storefront lighting
• Terrible store window presentations

It’s honestly not hard to create a nice exterior store design; think about what you’d like to see from a retail store. What encourages you to enter one store over another? The front needs to look appealing, though you should also focus on promoting your products so people see what you sell and feel encouraged to step inside. 

A Lack Of Visibility

This point sort of interlocks with the signage point, though it’s also to do with other things that can physically obscure your business from view. For example, are there overgrown hedges in the way of your store? Do you have other obstacles getting in the way? 

A lack of visibility can mean people don’t even notice your store, despite it looking great from the outside. With that in mind, see if you can improve the visibility. This may involve some simple landscaping to cut back obstructions and make your retail store easier for people to spot. If there are unmoveable objects in the way, then you’ve got two options: 

• Work on great signage to point people to your store, as mentioned earlier
• Consider moving to a better location

Dangerous Access

How easy is it for customers to access your store? If you’re located in a retail park or busy shopping centre, then there’s no problem at all. These locations are designed with great access features so people can walk into your store with ease. 

However, if you’re in a random location near a busy road, then you need to have safe access points. People may turn away from your store if there aren’t any safe crossing zones – or they need to walk under a dark bridge to get there. It’s something to think about if you’re struggling to find customers; make your retail store easier for people to access. 

Could these exterior factors get in the way of your retail business’s success? It’s highly possible, so learn how to spot the problems and address them to reverse the issue and see more visitors.