Independent retailers know that every small improvement counts – whether it’s increasing basket spend, encouraging customers to try something new, or simply offering great service. One way to help your team focus on those improvements is by setting clear, achievable targets.
Targets don’t have to feel like pressure. When they’re realistic, transparent, and backed up with encouragement, they give staff something positive to aim for and a sense of achievement when they get there.
Why set targets?
Know what it takes to be better than before – if your team don’t know what to do to make things better, or what better might look like, you’re unlikely to keep sales growing.
Clear focus – Targets turn vague goals (“let’s sell more”) into specific actions that staff can actually influence. You team need to understand what to strive for.
Team motivation – Having a shared aim builds a sense of teamwork and friendly competition. It can also help maintain a buzz between the staff – and that elevates their interaction with the customers.
What sort of targets work in convenience?
Here are a few practical examples that can help you shape goals for your shop. Try to introduce a different target each month or each week to give the teams something fresh to focus on or choose the one that you feel your store will most benefit from. You could even give the targets as a task to a senior member of the team, setting them the challenge to stretch the team through setting regular challenges.
Average Transaction Value (ATV) – Encourage staff to check if each customer found every item they came in for – and locate things they couldn’t find. it needn’t feel like a hard sell and your customers will appreciate the additional care.
Average Basket Size – Aim to gently increase the number of items per customer. Focus on making sure your customers buy items that obviously go together – fish fingers and chips, mixers with spirits, milk with coffee or cereal – there are loads of obvious pairings, make sure you’re making the most of this opportunity.
Loyalty Card Uptake – Loyalty schemes like Local Loyalty encourage repeat business so ensure the team ask customers to scan their card to maximise uptake. Set a percentage target for sign-ups or active use of your store’s loyalty scheme.
Add-on Sales – every customer should be asked if they would like to take up an additional offer at the till. It could be a piece of confectionery or a seasonal item or one of the wholesaler promotions.
Customer Service– Not every target has to be financial – greeting customers can make them feel more welcome and make it easier for customers to approach a sales assistant for help If they need it.
Making targets effective
Targets aren’t about putting pressure on your staff – they’re about giving your team focus and recognising success. With the right goals in place, you’ll often see better teamwork, stronger sales, and a happier shop environment.
Keep them realistic – A small stretch goal is better than an impossible challenge and retail teams are already busy on the shop floor – it’s challenge enough to process deliveries while serving customers – but give the targets we’ve suggested a chance and you’ll see that the little changes add up and make a difference to your sales figures.
Make them visible – A simple chart in the staff room keeps progress front of mind – but make sure it’s updated regularly – you’re busy running your business, delegate this task.
Measure progress – You’ll know what’s working and what might need attention. Give your team support – your hints and tips and encouragement will help everyone improve.
Celebrate success – Hitting a target – however small – gives you and your team a great reason to say “well done”. This can further motivate your team and you may find they start to look at the store in a different way, with a deeper understanding of how they can influence the way the store performs.
Review regularly – Talk about how the team is doing, and adjust if needed. Ask for their input to help keep them engaged – you’ll find they help each other too.
Small steps, big results
At ShopMate, we’ve seen how small changes can add up to big improvements. Whether it’s through clear team targets or the right technology behind the counter, the principle is the same: focus, consistency, and support make all the difference.
