Scale Your In-Store Events: How to Partner with Your Store Managers

More and more retailers are turning to in-store events for one really good reason: in-store events develop more loyal customers, and loyal customers spend more.

And they don’t plan to stop – retailers plan to increase event spend by 113% over the next two years.

So, what’s the play here? If retailers know that in-store events work, how can they effectively and efficiently scale their in-store event programs without a major increase in budget and headcount (which we all know is hard to come by these days).‍

The little-known secret to scaling in-store events is that it’s all about empowering a team you’ve already got: your store managers.

When you think about it, it makes the most sense: the store managers are the ones on the ground everyday and they’re the ones that will be present on the day of the events. We already know that a local strategy and execution leads to higher store traffic (18.7%) and in-store sales (12.7%), and when done right, it won't add to HQ's workload. In fact, it can even relieve the burden.

As the Head of Retail Strategy at Splash, I've seen a lot of our customers do this effectively. Here are 4 ways they scale their events through their store managers:

1. Provide a no-fail event playbook

With so many retail stores around the world, how do you protect brand integrity at in-store events? How do you make sure the event process is repeatable and scalable? And more importantly, how do you ensure the event is a success?

Arm stores with a communications and brand guidelines playbook, as well as a templated process and workflow. Have store managers create and execute in one place, so they can access, collaborate on, and share templates of event landing pages, emails (invites, reminders, thank yous), social sharing images, and post-event surveys. Provide examples for signage, messaging, swag, goody bags, food, drinks, and more.

2. Streamline the event creation process and safeguard it with an approval flow

When it comes to in-store events, it’s the same old story: either store managers throw events without notifying HQ, or they throw events and end up needing extra help from HQ.

Streamline the process between HQ and local stores. Build an easy event approval process that will encourage any store manager to throw an event with approval from HQ.  

Here’s the process we’ve seen work well with our retail customers

1. The store manager submits an event via the form. Including any fields that will help speed up the process (we recommend requests for budget, signage, or anything to enhance the in-store experience).
2. An on-brand event is automatically created.
3. The store manager gets a confirmation email
4. HQ team members get notified.
5. HQ gives the green light or requests revisions.
6. HQ sees registrants and check-ins come in.
7. HQ has all its event data in one place and can better understand and remarket to its most loyal customers

Here's an example of an event approval form:

3. Collect rich customer data and build a loyal fanbase

A retail event strategy isn’t just about sales. According to Kaitlin Villanova, senior global director of digital and insights of Burton Snowboards, their “in-store shoppers tend to have a much higher lifetime value than a customer who simply shops online.” Translation: you not only have a chance to turn RSVPs into customers, but also customers into brand ambassadors.

You can leverage the on-site data captured (RSVPs, check-ins, walk-ins, and check-outs to measure duration of stay) a couple ways:

• Keep the conversation going. Nurture your guests with a post-event strategy (discounts and promos, event calendar updates, newsletters).
• Get in-store intel and build robust in-store customer profiles to improve your marketing efforts.
• Use benchmarks to test the performance of new ideas and promotions in stores.

4. Scale what worked, eliminate what didn’t

After an event, it’s important to follow up with your staff. Send a post-event survey for feedback: What worked? What could’ve been improved?

You should also monitor engagement, activity, progress, and lift in sales of all your in-store events through event reporting dashboards. Use this data incentivize your store managers by awarding those with the best attendance rates or top sales.