The shop opening is a business’s first actual business card; for this reason, it is essential to organize and take care of it in the best way possible. The first impression counts; indeed, it is everything. This is a particularly true statement, especially when it comes to business. Those who are about to start their own business by opening a new company know that the shop opening is one of the most critical moments. For what reason?
Because it is the first real moment of contact with the public or the first occasion on which all potential customers will get an idea about the business. The inauguration is the pretext to start on the right foot; it is a unique opportunity for visibility and publicity: an event organized ad hoc to promote the opening of the new store, enhancing its winning characteristics. But to set up an unforgettable inauguration, you need time, attention, and a lot of effort. Let’s find out together the tips to organize an inauguration to remember.
Ideas For Shop Opening: 10 Helpful Tips
What should I do for a shop opening? Here are our ten golden tips to get you started on the right foot:
Choose The Day And Time Carefully; Think Of The Most Convenient Ones For Your Customers
The first step in organizing a successful inauguration is considering when the event should be managed. It is essential to evaluate the needs of the audience you want to attract to decide. Indeed, you will have to consider that these people, just like you, work and have busy lives.
For this reason, it is always advisable not to organize the inauguration on a working day during the week; people will most likely not have time to attend your event. The ideal would be to manage the inauguration on Saturday afternoon, for a nice snack with friends, or on Sunday morning, for a tasty brunch.
In fact, on the weekend, most people don’t have work commitments and can spend time with their family or have fun in malls and shops. It is also essential to consider the holiday calendar; it is doubtful that anyone will attend the event on holidays since they are generally spent with the family.
Finally, it is essential to dedicate the right amount of time to organizing the event; everything must be handled to the smallest detail. For this reason, it is advisable to start thinking about setting up the shop for the inauguration about one or two months in advance.
Decides Who To Invite To The Opening
In such a critical moment, it is essential to invite the right people. First, trying to reach as broad an audience as possible is good. But it’s not just the quantity of people present that counts; the quality makes the difference. In fact, in addition to friends, relatives, and possible colleagues, it is essential to invite local authorities to the launch of your shop.
The presence of the city’s mayor or a counselor could prove indispensable to have a small space of visibility within the news of the local press. Inviting some representatives of trade associations (Confartigianato, Confcommercio, etc.) is also an idea to consider; in this case, it will also be easier to obtain spaces of visibility. An article online or in the local weekly is what it takes to make yourself known immediately.
Create An Invitation For The Event
Store Opening Invitation: Is It Necessary? Of course, yes. What event would it be without an invitation? The invitation is a further business card to make yourself known and attract visitors to the store. How do I create an invitation? How do I distribute it? There are several ways to create an eye-catching invitation. The most classic, especially if it’s a roadside shop, is making a paper flier to distribute publicly to advertise the inauguration. If the idea of a paper invitation seems obsolete, you can rely on email, SMS, or social media communications.
The important thing, whether it’s a flier or a digital invitation, is that it contains effective phrases and images in line with the shop’s style. A winning idea could be to intrigue the customer with typical inauguration phrases: “The inauguration of shop X will be held on day X: do not miss the welcome buffet” or again, “Inauguration of shop X on date X: for the first 20 customers, a 50% discount on their first purchase”. Customers will be much more likely to attend the grand opening by offering free benefits.
Advertise The Event With The Proper Communication Channels
After choosing when to do the inauguration, with whom, and with which invitation to promote it, it’s time to figure out the best communication channel to advertise the event. As? Considering the audience you want to reach, while an electronics store should announce the inauguration on digital media, a pasta factory could more readily resort to paper flyers and face-to-face advertising.
A valid advice for all types of activities is to use the potential of social networks. Indeed, creating an event on Facebook for the shop opening is a winning idea for any store. Why? Firstly, it will allow you to send your invitation to a vast audience. Secondly, because Facebook will automatically remind users that the event will take place on the day of the inauguration (a few hours after the scheduled time).
Pay Attention To The Setting Of The Buffet
How do I organize a successful inauguration? You can’t help but think of the buffet. The buffet is undoubtedly the great protagonist of the event. It is sad to remember, but many of those present will come precisely because a free buffet attracts them. For this reason, it is essential to pay particular attention to the preparation of the buffet, the choice of foods to offer, and drinks.
It takes a lot of time to do all this, but you don’t always have the opportunity to prepare a do-it-yourself buffet. An excellent idea is to contact a catering service. The catering is an expense for the merchant, but he will take care of everything related to the buffet. It is essential to offer visitors various flavors, from prosecco to sweet wine, from pizzas to pastries.
A critical precaution: it is good to consider possible food minorities, i.e., vegan, vegetarian, or intolerant customers. Finally, remember that a good banquet is always accompanied by background music; choose a playlist to create the right atmosphere of conviviality among those present.
Give A Short (But Effective) Introductory And Thank-You Speech
The atmosphere is essential, sure, but don’t forget that the whole point of the store opening is to sell your business and keep people coming back. What better way than a short speech? In fact, during the party, it is always advisable to set aside 2 or 3 minutes to talk to everyone present. What to say? First, you need to introduce yourself and describe your business.
A note of appreciation for the town or city that hosts the shop, especially in the presence of local authorities, is always welcome. Finally, it is essential to thank everyone present for coming to the inauguration, possibly with a toast and applause. The speech should not last more than 2 or 3 minutes as it would risk being boring; even those with difficulty with public speaking will be able to do it without problems.
Leave A Small Gift For Those Attending The Inauguration
What’s the best way to ensure that potential customers remember the store when they leave the party? Leave him something concrete. It is always advisable to leave everyone present with a small gift, a gadget that makes the customer proud of participating in the event. What to give at a shop opening? The ideal would be providing helpful something related to your products/services.
For example, an electronics store might opt for small USB sticks, a beauty store for regenerating face masks, and a hairdressing store for mini shampoo and conditioner packs. But, the gifts customers appreciate aren’t necessarily material. A winning idea could be to reserve a coupon or a discount voucher on the first purchase made in the store. In this way, the probability that the customer will purchase will be much higher.
Try To Build Customer Loyalty From The First Meeting
Many will think that talking about loyalty at the moment of the inauguration could be premature; it’s not like that. We talked about releasing a giveaway or gadget during the grand opening. What better occasion to ask those present to remove an email address? For example, in addition to the gadget or discount provided, the customer can be offered a Fidelity Card in exchange for their email address.
The Fidelity Card must guarantee permanent advantages: gifts, values, and a loyalty program for those who use it. By releasing the email address, customers can continuously receive offers and promotions—a sort of “loyalty at first sight”. What better way to keep the customer from turning to the competition?
Think Of Some Activities For Families Too
We have said the best time to organize a store opening is the weekend because people are not working. For this reason, it cannot be excluded that some guests show up at the event with their children, even very young ones. What should I do in these cases?
It is good to think of activities for them too. Hiring one or two animators and thinking of playful activities for the little ones is an idea that both children and parents will love. Face painting for children, for example, could be what it takes to keep the little ones busy and leave the parents time to focus on evaluating your store.
Hire A Professional Photographer To Capture The Best Moments Of The Event
The inauguration is a critical moment; for this reason, it must be remembered correctly. What better solution than a professional photographer to capture this party’s funniest and most exciting moments?
The photos taken can remain in a private album, simply as an excellent memory, or be used to advertise the shop. Posting pictures on social channels or sending them to a local newspaper is a successful idea. Finally, you can enrich your shop’s website with the inauguration images. Quality photos taken in a moment of fun can entice those who visit your website to go to your shop.
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