Curb (Kerb) Appeal: First Impressions Count

In the rapidly changing world of retail, we often forget some of the basic rules of retailing. I was reminded of this recently when Graphic House Signs and Graphic Systems of Wisconsin, USA sent me a copy of the chart in this article which is based on the importance of curb appeal. There is a lot of focus in today’s press on online retailing and the decline of “bricks” retailing.

I am a strong believer in the future of “bricks” retailing, but also that we need to provide an experience for the consumer; that starts outside of the business, on the street.

The infographic above is courtesy is of Graphic House, Inc

In my consultancy, many farm retailers believe store improvement is about spending capital to improve their business. This may be a stage in your business journey, but improving curb appeal is one simple low-cost way of improving business. Curb appeal is an ongoing process and one that needs to be checked daily, even if your farm shop is located on the farm.

How often do you cross the road from your business and look at the business from a consumer’s point of view? Something every customer does every time they visit your farm retail establishment

I was recently asked to carry out some consultancy for a farm retailer and the first thing I did was take them across the road to look at their business.

Once across the road, I asked them to describe their brand to me and what message they wanted to communicate to their customers. The description they gave was about wanting to be a quality, premium brand which was modern in its approach to retailing farm products. I agreed with them that when I was in the store, this message was strongly communicated to the visitor. I could understand why they believed in this statement, but how does the consumer perceive it was the message that was important to get across.

Once outside the business, I challenged them on the peeling paint-work on the facia of the building, old fashioned neon signs in the window, posters plastered on the window and a dirty front door that had not been cleaned that week.

Their reaction was one of surprise, that they had not noticed these blemishes to their brand before.

Yes, you do need to look at your business through outside eyes. The secret, though, is putting those eyes on and looking at your business as a customer would look at it.

As a farm retailer myself, I realise this is not easy, time pressure is always there and we often neglect the importance of first impressions and how they impact the customer.

How do you improve your curb appeal?

The key area are:

An engaging shop front can draw customers into your store.

Make the most of the window display areas you have to showcase your offering to its best.

I’m often told image observations are “common sense “but I am afraid it is more like “rare sense”.

I will guarantee that the majority of readers of this blog do not have a "First Impression Checklist" that they implement every day. Consequently, your brand will be suffering in some way due to store "blindness".

The consumer makes a decision in seconds and those memories stay with them for a long time. They are often referred to as the “retail touch points” in the business.

What are the "Touch Points"?

When a person comes to your store, they are:

How to Make the Right First Impression on a Farm

Getting the first impressions correct on the farm can be more challenging than it is for retailers on the High Street.

You want to get the message across that this is a profitable farming business and that it grows the food that it sells.

In order to effectively get that message over to the public, having the impression of entering a farm is important. At the same time, you have to make sure it is safe and that the public does not interfere with the farming practices taking place.

Every business is different, but consider a separate entrance for the public so they are not facing farm equipment on the same drive way. The public want to see crops being grown or animals in the fields and this provides the first impression they are often looking for.

They want to park their car in an obvious parking location and not step into a muddy field, especially if they are wearing ‘town shoes”

The entrance needs to be clearly visible and they want to walk into a clean looking entrance and see a locally grown seasonal product.

This is where the story really starts and, if done well, sets your customers up for a good experience in-store.

Cobbs Farm Shop and Kitchen is a terrific example of how you can start a customer's journey off well.

I recently walked into a farm in a temperate part of the world and the first power display was bananas from the tropics. When I challenged the owner, I was told that they were a major seller in the business and were generating a good gross profit and hence the decision was made to locate them in the prime selling location. My approach was that we should keep to our values, especially in prime locations that affect the image of the business. Farm retailing should be sending a seasonal and local message and this was the wrong product in the wrong location.

There should be planned prime location products that all the team are aware of and manage accordingly to ensure the correct message is communicated to the consumer.

So, why not take my challenge today? Grab some of your team and take a walk around outside; look at your business critically as a customer would and make the appropriate changes.

... and once you start, keep it going!

Make sure your curb appeal is working for your business.