Swimming pool retail stores are evaluating the best way to maximize their retail store space to make the most profit per square foot. It’s been tricky because pool and spa products are in high demand, and stores are also trying to create more open spaces to meet recommended social distancing recommendations.

Because so much has changed in the past year and a half, savvy retailers are using data pulled from their business software system to make critical decisions like:

• which products should remain on the showroom floor
• which products should be moved to the online store or removed entirely
• which new products should be added because of increased demand and profitability

Swimming pool retail stores can make these decisions with confidence using the powerful reporting within the RB Retail & Service Solutions software.

Consider creating mobile checkout areas by implementing a mobile POS to improve customer service. With RB’s pool and spa business software, your staff can provide better and faster service using Line Buster features. In addition, equipping your staff with iPads or tablets lets your team work the floor with instant access to inventory look-ups and customer profiles. Having your business software on a mobile tablet allows staff to complete sales transactions, process credit cards, and email receipts from any location in your store or parking lot. With these tools, you can train staff to prevent long lines and ring up sales outdoors when possible, offering customers and staff a convenient, fast, and COVID-safe checkout process.

If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to boost customer service and keep the lines moving faster with barcode scanners for sales, price checks, returns, and exchanges. And remember to use these slower months to implement the systems and give your team the time to practice these tools, so they are ready to provide superior service next season.

Product prioritizing and product placement are even more important now that space is at a premium. Consider starting by decluttering your store. Decluttering makes a huge difference to customers, making them feel calmer and more likely to make a purchase. You don’t want your clients to feel claustrophobic when trying to shop, so spreading products out makes it easier to create social distancing space throughout the store.

Decluttering a retail store might also make business owners realize that some products should not get as much space or be on the showroom floor during certain times of the year. This is where the reporting in your pool and spa business software can be very helpful. With RB’s software, you can track purchase history to determine product popularity. Now is the time to closely study those reports. You may need to completely remove products to create the space needed for social distancing or because they aren’t profitable. Choose the products that provide your business with the greatest profits to maximize the profit-per-square-foot in your swimming pool retail store.

Use the reporting tools in your pool and spa business software to review profit margins by product. You may find, for example, that toys and maintenance equipment are not big movers, so consider removing them entirely from the retail floor to help open up space in the showroom. You should also consider moving bigger ticket items front and center. Don’t be afraid to move products and displays on a routine basis to keep spaces open for social distancing. If you need to, move some products off the showroom floor completely if they are not appropriate to the weather or the time of year for the sake of space.

Creating a more open, peaceful showroom and providing a personal shopper experience using mobile-live software on a tablet can help consumers feel more comfortable and relaxed when making a purchase decision. This is especially true for customers interested in making just one visit to stock up for the season and go out less.

Retooling also means using an Online Bill Pay system that creates a solid billing process to make it easier and more convenient for your customers to pay their bills. Give your customers the convenience of securely paying their bills online with a credit card. Additionally, using an online bill pay system allows you to send your bills via email. As a result, you will no longer pay for envelopes, stamps, labels, paper, or printer ink while saving on labor costs by eliminating the billing and payment processing time.

Now that customers are spending even more time shopping from home, focus on email marketing and start planning to launch cyber sales. Don’t forget to implement technological tools that will help generate as much profit in your online store as in your brick-and-mortar store. RB Retail & Service Solutions has rolled out a ‘shopping cart’ feature that can be added to existing websites for those businesses in the pool and spa industry that were not originally equipped for an online marketplace. It provides a fully equipped, easy checkout with curbside pickup or delivery. It’s the perfect way to make pool sales management easier and keep your pool and spa business thriving during this pandemic surge in demand for all things pool, spa, and outdoor living.

Customers shopped online before the pandemic, but a desire to limit trips to stores unleashed new demand and encouraged retailers to roll out new options. The result: new habits. Americans will continue to shop at stores, but they are already scheduling more curbside pickups or signing up for delivery services. Updating your ecommerce site will also be necessary as retailers find they are using their brick and mortar stores as fulfillment centers and mini-warehouses. The shift is redefining how stores are used, and there may be an increased need for staff to fulfill online orders and prepare items for curbside and in-store pickup this coming season. Now is the time to redesign your retail store space, implement new mobile solutions, and improve your online store, so your pool and spa business is ready for next season.

Strategic retail renovations will make your physical retail and online stores more dynamic and appealing to customers despite the extra work and chaotic conditions. Because customers are visiting your store less often, having a positive experience while shopping is imperative. Some retailers are already saying that they believe their new, more open retail layout increased their sales closing rates. In hindsight, some retailers think clients might have felt pressured and unsure of the right purchase decision when shopping in a crowded store. Combining your physical retail store offerings with complementary products and offerings in your online store will ultimately provide the most enjoyable experience for your current customers while also attracting new clients to your business.

Savvy merchandisers are taking the opportunity to update their retail and ecommerce stores and business procedures in preparation for what will likely be another busy year. Physically redesigning your retail store space, adding a new shopping cart system to the online store, and implementing mobile solutions to improve customer service are all steps that are easily taken during the slower winter months. Use the data reporting from your business software system to determine which products should remain on the showroom floor, which should move to your online store, and which should be removed permanently to make room for new product lines. Now is the best time to tackle swimming pool store renovations to improve your business efficiency and long-term profitability.

Implementing a new marketing, e-commerce, or inventory system can help you boost winter swimming pool product sales and improve your ability to handle another busy summer. RB’s software does all that and much more.