Wooqer’s Post

During my career in retail, there was a period when I did 500+ store visits per year. We didn’t do them just to check a box, but rather to connect with our front-line teams and customers directly. The goal? To understand the day-to-day realities of our business in a way no report or KPI can truly capture. Here’s what we learned about the impact of being in the field: 1. First-Hand Insight is Irreplaceable Most visits offered great feedback, a firsthand look at what was working—and what wasn’t. We’d meet with store associates, hold early-morning roundtables, and ask candid questions: “What do you think? What’s working for customers? What’s not?” This process brought clarity and context that corporate data alone can’t provide. 2. Build Team Spirit, Not an Ivory Tower In retail, it’s common for store teams to brace themselves for corporate visits, to anxiously wait to “get it right, have a good visit”, etc. But we never wanted our presence to be the platform for a “gotcha” moment. We tried to make all of our visits collaborative and transparent. We were checking on progress, but also building relationships. The visits became so positive that some teams would even reach out to ask, “When are you visiting us?” When people know leadership is genuinely invested, the entire organization feels more cohesive and aligned. 3. Understanding Customers, Validating Data The team at store level has a direct line to customers, as well as the products or services they are asking for but we aren’t offering. That understanding fed into our data-driven strategies. Insight from the front line, validated by data, ensured we were making the right moves. 4. Productivity Beyond the Numbers Our trips were often more than just visiting stores. They usually involved vendor meetings, customer panels, and exploring local competition. Field visits became an incredibly productive way to deepen customer understanding, tighten bonds among our employees, and engage with vendors, all while building a culture of teamwork and open dialogue. — Store visits done right are about learning, growth, and teamwork. For any business, the greatest value lies in truly understanding your people and customers.

📋 Throw away your clipboard and paper-based checklists for your store audits.   Store visits done in-store are time-consuming; doing them manually is even more challenging. Done digitally, your field leaders can do a QuickWalk or Scripted Audit, allowing them to manage real-time performance whenever needed. Follow-up is also digital and has become a snap.   When store audits are done digitally, we see a 90% task completion rate. An increase in completion rates directly correlates to an increase in ATV and conversion rates.   ThinkTime Store Audit tools allow you to assign tasks in real-time, check progress, and understand how specific stores are doing compared to the rest. This allows you to ensure that your efforts are being prioritized and your store teams can focus on their important daily tasks.   🤔 Want to learn more about Scripted Walks and Quick Walks? Click Here: https://lnkd.in/dDJQgzz

Running a successful retail store is all about maximizing your time. 🕒 I've created a Time Management Checklist designed specifically for busy retail store owners like you. Whether you’re struggling to prioritize tasks or delegate effectively, this checklist will help you reclaim your day and focus on what really matters—growing your retail store 

Running a successful retail store is all about maximizing your time. 🕒 I've created a Time Management Checklist designed specifically for busy retail store owners like you. Whether you’re struggling to prioritize tasks or delegate effectively, this checklist will help you reclaim your day and focus on what really matters—growing your retail store

👋 Are you seeking to elevate your retail store audits? Look no further! ThinkTime's Retail Store Audit tool empowers field leaders to maximize in-store time, uphold corporate standards, and inspire store teams.   Whether your visit is scripted or spontaneous, ThinkTime has you covered. QuickWalk can assign tasks in real-time during ad hoc visits. Our templates guide your time for planned walks, ensuring tasks are completed, and brand standards are maintained.   Schedule detailed store walks for immediate action or save for later. Enable announced walks or empower stores to "self-audit" at any time.   Conduct in-person visits seamlessly with pre-designed walk templates. Add Quick Tasks on the go to fix any issues and record notes and images for clarity.   Review trends and dive into results by location from previous visits using ThinkTime's robust reporting tools.   Follow up effortlessly, ensuring all issues are addressed. Our mobile-enabled flow speeds up the process, allowing documentation via pictures and notes.   Build confidence by allowing store managers to conduct practice self-audits, fostering expertise and documenting growth and successes.   Simplify your retail store visit checklists with ThinkTime QuickWalks. String together tasks effortlessly and tracking results in real-time.

Throw away your clipboard and paper-based checklists and digitize your store visits and routine audits.   Store visits and routine audits are a critical part of securing consistent brand standards across your fleet of stores. Done digitally, your field leaders are able to do a QuickWalk or Scripted Audit effeciently via their mobile devices, allowing them to manage performance in real-time, whenever they need to.   We see 90%+ task completion rates when Store Audits are done digitally. And an increase in on time completion rates directly correlating to an increase in ATV and conversion rates.   ThinkTime Store Audit tools allow you assign tasks in real-time, check progress, and understand how specific stores are doing compared to the rest. That means you can ensure that your efforts are being prioritized and your store teams can focus on their important to-do’s of the day.   Want to learn more about Scripted Walks and QuickWalks? Click here: https://lnkd.in/dDJQgzz

#service_or_sales Yesterday I visited a leading retail superstore to get a strolley serviced. What I thought of as a slam dunk kind of job, took me almost 30 minutes (just to deposit strolley, service would take 30 days). Here’s the reason: 1. There were 3 service counters but only one attendant. AND Murphy’s law has a special relationship with me. Now you know, why that one customer (who was being attended) took longer than longest 🤣 2. Lot of staff members were milling around, but none bothered to check with me. The case would be different if I was looking for shopping. 3. One person even suggested me to even shop till the service executive finished with the existing customer. God bless! 4. I was made to wait in a fancy lounge area where a few goodies were displayed, in case you (a disgruntled customer) wanted to shop while waiting. 😣 After a long wait, I followed the standard protocol of summoning the store manager, luckily she was kind enough to help me with a new service executive, who after some (understatement) struggle was able to steer me to the shore. Question is - Why do we take service for granted? - Why are we not greeted as warmly at service counters, as in showrooms? - Why are there no service helpers but so many product pushers? The answer is : We think sales is active and service is passive. Just as there are no listening competitions but so many debate competitions. Customers seeking service are considered to be burdens, while new customers are cash cows 🏦 Harry Beckwith in his legendary book “selling the invisible” says, “Service is Marketing.” Hope we learn this lesson before the “Cows come home”. This reminded me of a definition of Customer - जो कष्टों से मर जाता है, वो customer kehlata hai. I went to a restaurant after that, another harrowing service experience but that’s for next weekend 😊 LinkedIn Shoppers Stop CIEL - Center For Investment Education and Learning #servicedesk #serviceindustry #servicedesign

With a little over six weeks to go until EOFY, area leaders need to be making the most out of their final store visits for this financial year. In this month’s newsletter, I share how to plan, execute, and follow up on a quality store visit. Sign up at: https://lnkd.in/g-rT2EzD #ProfessionalDevelopment #AreaManagers #AreaManagement #RetailManagement #RetailStrategy

Summer Store Execution Booster – Make the Most of the Most Critical Long Weekends.    Summer is almost here, and the holiday weekends are coming! Be sure your products and promotions are set for selling success during your busiest time of year! If you don’t currently have a dedicated team or only partial coverage our Summer Store Execution Booster that covers the three major long weekends in Canada during the summer, is the solution to ensure you maximize revenue potential on those very important weekends. See the PDF link for complete program details and how you can take advantage of group pricing based on all our client’s coverage. https://lnkd.in/gAjz89NR You can also reach out to me here by replying or emailing me at [email protected] so we can set-up a quick Zoom to understand coverage and pricing. https://lnkd.in/gAjz89NR

A mystery shopping programme can offer many benefits across all levels of your business: ✔️ Head Office gains an independent, objective assessment serving as regulatory evidence where needed. ✔️ Sales teams at Head Office gain insights into organisational sales performance, regionally and at store levels. ✔️ Training teams at Head Office receive valuable feedback on training effectiveness. ✔️ Regional Managers receive feedback on compliance, sales, and customer service, segmented by area and store. ✔️ Area Managers gain insights into compliance, sales, and customer service performance at store level. ✔️ Store Managers receive feedback on their performance relative to similar branches and competitors, fostering continuous improvement. Set your business on the path to success today by visiting our website. https://lnkd.in/dfk6vMbe #MysteryShoppers #MysteryShopping #MysteryShoppingAssessments #BusinessPerformance #BusinessGrowth #BusinessCompliance #TailoredSolutions