The holiday shopping season may already be underway, but there are still things you can do to boost sales at your mall kiosk during this crucial income-producing period. Mall kiosk success starts with your ability to capture enough attention from passersby to turn them into buyers.

Consider this: research shows an average of 20% of mall traffic will notice your kiosk. About 15% of them will stop to look at your merchandise, and about a quarter of them will actually buy something. Whatever the average foot-traffic at your position within the mall, only a tiny percentage of them are potential buyers. Your job is to increase the probability at every level – noticing, browsing, buying.

1. Getting noticed comes first.

That’s tougher than ever when your mall is filled with holiday hubbub. Make sure your kiosk is visible from at least 40 feet away, to start drawing the attention of approaching prospects before they inadvertently pass you by.

2. Be prepared.

Running out of stock is a disaster this time of year. Make sure you have enough on hand now to get you through the entire holiday period, including that last-minute rush.

And make sure your merchandise is unique compared to other mall stores. That’s one way to stop shoppers from “showrooming,” then buying elsewhere. And it makes your kiosk more enticing.

3. Offer friendly, knowledgeable help to customers.

Research shows personal assistance can increase your conversion rate from 10% to 40%. A smiling holiday greeting and one-on-one attention are just as important at your kiosk as they are in a big department store – perhaps more so. Demonstrate how products work, and let customers handle things.  

Hire the best people possible, because “friendly and knowledgeable” starts with them. Temps should receive the same background checks, etc. as anyone else. Then make sure your people are fully trained. They can help customers most effectively when they know your procedures as well as your products. Consider offering incentives such as a bonus or commission to make boosting sales (and preventing shrinkage) their priority as well as yours.

4. Make it easy to shop your kiosk.

Pay special attention to visual merchandising – a few enticingly grouped items are more appealing than stacks or rows of identical products. Your mall kiosk isn’t a vending machine.

Arrange your physical fixtures to offer multi-tiered displays, but keep things low enough that you can easily monitor shoppers. This is a security “must” as well as a chance to engage with each shopper at just the right time.

Pre-wrap some of your most popular items. Festive packages can take the place of non-saleable decorations, and they save time for customers.

5. Think ahead.

If your mall kiosk will be around after the holidays, make an effort to collect customer data so you can continue your shopping/sales relationship in the future.

Remember, this time of year your kiosk is a gift shop, whether customers are shopping for someone else or themselves. By offering different merchandise and superb customer service, you can boost sales without having to discount your profit margins.

Palmer Retail Solutions strives to offer our clients the absolute best combination of innovation, quality, service, and value for our diversified custom store fixtures and merchandising displays. For more information about our designs, retail fixtures, cash wraps, kiosks, or point of purchase displays, visit our website at: http://www.palmerretailsolutions.com.