Business News

Fri Jun 3

Quick Ways to Update an Old Bar

Written by NewsServices.com

You might be running a bar for years and years, seemingly doing everything right only to suddenly find that your business has been supplanted by newer, trendier bars in the area. While bars don’t have to shed their entire identity to stay current, they do have to update themselves, bring in new technology, implement new ideas and so on to stay fresh and vibrant in the eyes of customers.

A common trap operators fall into is keeping their bar the same to please a tiny group of regulars who they fear will complain or leave if changes are made. This short-sightedness can end up costing bar owners dearly as they alienate a new, younger crowd who would gladly become their new regulars for years to come if only the place would just refresh itself a bit.

Here are some ways that such updates can happen:

1. Upgrade the Technology

There can be some retro, kitschy value in bars that make use of older-looking technology, but mostly it’s just a hindrance. Old registers from the 1990s and early 2000s aren’t kitschy, they’re just loud, slow and inefficient, lending no vibe or personality to a place whatever. Upgrade your bar tech by taking a look for bar POS management systems, beer and liquor flow monitoring systems, bar trivia technology, new audio systems, new TVs for sports, and so on.

2. New Bar Furniture

Tired and ripped upholstery on bar seats, or wobbly wooden bar stools, not to mention worn-looking and discoloured booths and banquette seating all contribute to a tired look that people just don’t want to go to. Too many bar owners think that seats are basically fine until they break. Until then they don’t really want the added expense of getting new seating.

Granted, all-new bar seating won’t come cheap, but it’s an investment into a better and more appealing environment in your bar that will attract more business. If money really is too tight, then consider at least reupholstering your existing seating and making repairs on wobbly or unstable seats. You might at least be able to bring enough of a refresh doing this that it will bring back lost business.

3. New Lighting

Lighting is one of the most important elements that really makes the ambience of a bar what it is. The lights that you first picked probably looked great when they were first installed, but over time lighting can become tired and dated. The fashions for lighting can change pretty quickly! On top of that, they’re usually on all day and through the evening, making them hot, which takes its toll on the glass or other casing quite soon. You’ll be amazed what new bar lights and lamps can do for the atmosphere of your place.

4. Update the Beer Taps

When people walk into a bar, one of the first things they’ll see is the look of your bar and its draft beer taps. When did you last have these updated? Do you clean them regularly, at least? Breweries and other beer brands often create fancy new decorative taps for bars to use. Ensure that you’ve got the best-looking taps and your bar will really stand out from the crowd. Australia is a beer-loving nation, so there’s always a lot of attention on those taps.

5. Refresh the Facade and Flooring

Finally, two more things to consider doing are a refresh of the exterior facade with a new coat of paint, a new sign, new awnings perhaps, and even new windows. Inside the bar, consider getting some new flooring put in. Both can be fairly expensive, and a bit disruptive, to do at the same time, but the effect on business should be extremely noticeable.

Fri Jun 3

Ideas to Boost Your Retail Business

Written by NewsServices.com

While many of the most immediate problems faced by the retail sector in Australia can be traced to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are actually far more factors at play. The retail sector is under tremendous pressure, and it’s harder than ever to put up a shingle and create a successful enterprise in this sector.

For those in retail facing rising rents, wage bill pressures, and the growing competition of the online space, what can they do to better compete? Let’s take a look at some simple examples.

1. Gather Data, Data, and More Data

One of the key advantages that drives the success of online retail is how they make use of customer data. The data they collect allows them to understand customer habits, preferences, spending limits and much more, which in turn means they can tailor the customer’s experience to be closer and closer to perfect each time that person logs in and shops.

Regular retail businesses can do the same with in store customer analytics. They can learn more about their customer base, what they’re spending, what they like and don’t like, and more. While not necessarily tailored down to every individual customer, it can still be a powerful tool to help stores better manage inventory, predict periods of demand for certain products, understand when the store will be busy and in need of more staff, and more.

2. Customer Service Training

One of the reasons traditional retail continues to endure is that people everywhere just can’t shake their love affair with good-old customer service. The experience of shopping online can be very cold and sterile, and sometimes people need the kind of extra help with their purchases that only a fellow human can provide.

To make the customer experience better, regular training of your staff in how to deliver the very best-possible customer service is essential. Having team members who are also well-presented, smiling, and in possession of a positive, can-do attitude also helps greatly. The retailers with the best staff will invariably attract the most repeat customers.

3. Consider Child-Friendliness

How geared towards younger children is your retail space? Shopping with young kids can be a very stressful time for parents, and that’s made even worse when the kids are bored and there’s absolutely nothing they perceive as “for them” in the store.

Some retail spaces have worked to create kid-friendly stores where they have activities and things for kids to do while parents are shopping. These additions could be something as simple as a set of chalkboards for drawing, a TV, or just crayons and paper. Even the basic act of training up staff to be more friendly and easy-going with kids can be a god-send to parents.

4. Do Everything You Can to Cut Down Waiting Times

Possibly one of the biggest pet peeves of anyone making use of retail services is the idea of having to line up for long periods, either waiting for specific services, or waiting at the checkout to pay. Not everyone can make it to the store in off-peak hours when queues are at a minimum. Anything you can do to cut down on lines will give a boost to your business.

Some current options include implementing mobile payment systems that allow customers to pay at a swipe of their smartphone rather than looking for cash or waiting for card transactions to confirm. You can also employ more checkout staff when you know the store will be busy --- analytics data will help you predict that --- or add in some self-checkout counters to allow people more options when they’re ready to leave.