“Start your day a little bit better” was a sales slogan for cereal back in the day (here’s a video, in case you’re curious).  But unless you are running a big box store that is open 24/7, your store could undoubtedly benefit by getting each day off to a little bit better start — and I’m not talking about serving the whole staff big bowls of Post Toasties Corn Flakes.

One of my favorite articles about this topic was in New Age Retailer magazine, which is now called Retailing Insight. The author suggested smudging the store before opening. This involves using the smoke from lighting a bundle of herbs such as sage, sweetgrass and cedar to cleanse and purify the shop.

While you may not be a practitioner of Native American-inspired rituals, the cleaning of the store before you open is an important way to set the tone for a good day.  You might want to create a checklist for these procedures and assign an employee to be  in charge each morning. Make sure that:

the floors have been vacuumed

the counters are cleaned

the waste baskets emptied

the front door glass polished

the bathroom cleaned

the background music is correct

all necessary are supplies restocked

The second ritual suggested in the New Age Retailer was writing the day’s sales goals on a slip of paper and acknowledging it as the day’s intention.  Many shops do this by gathering their employees together briefly before the store opens to get them enthused about what the day will bring.  This is also a great time to go over any new arrivals and upcoming events.

We also take time before opening to “count in” the change in the till. Starting out with the right amount of money helps track down any errors at the end of the day, when “counting out” is part of our evening ritual of closing up shop.  The rituals associated with both the start and the end of the retail day are as important to your success as what comes in between.

Happy Retailing,

Carol “Orange” Schroeder