Five Ways to Attract Millennials

//Five Ways to Attract Millennials

Five Ways to Attract Millennials

Millennials are quickly becoming the most coveted consumers for many paint & decorating retailers, in part because of their large numbers – estimated at 71 million in the United States alone. In 2019, they will overtake Baby Boomers as the largest generational group in the U.S., with their ranks swelling to 74 million. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), almost 70% of millennials have a household income above the national median of $59,000 per year. Many millennials are now in their 30’s, a time when they are buying homes and doing DIY paint & decorating projects for those homes. So how can you attract this veritable gold mine of consumers? Let’s take a look at five ways to attract millennials to your store.millenials1

Be Convenient – Make sure your store is easily accessible and can be found on Google maps. Millennials are busy with work and kids, so they value a store that is easy to find and easy to navigate once inside. Make sure your store signage is clear and concise, and that you always have sufficient staff to help millennials in a hurry. A store that is organized well and is easy to navigate quickly will be much appreciated by this group of consumers.

Make it Quick – Speaking of millennials in a hurry, this is one group that likes to get in and out quickly. Make sure your staff are trained to make the sale quickly and efficiently, while keeping good customer service practices in mind. Sales staff who are knowledgeable about the products you sell and can quickly recommend what a millennial customer needs to get for his or her DIY project are an invaluable asset to you. Make sure your POS is up to speed also, so those checkout times are quick and painless.

Offer Excellent Service – Most millennials rate good customer service as high or higher than convenience or selection, so it behooves any retailer to offer quality customers service at all times. This requires a well-trained staff, and sufficient staff to make sure no one is left waiting for sales service (see above). If you leave a customer waiting for service for more than a few minutes, you should so some thinking about how to shorten the time anyone has to wait. Knowledge of the products being sold in a paint/decorating store is extremely important, so however you do it, make sure your staff knows their stuff when it comes to your product offerings.millennials2

Listen, Listen, Listen – Millennials love to leave reviews, so make use of all of those opinions by gathering the feedback you get from them to improve your store on a continuing basis. Formulate a survey and print it out on your receipts. Ask your customers how you did! Use your social media platforms to ask for feedback also. Just make sure you always act on those reviews, whether they be good or bad, and don’t incentivize reviews.

Get Mobile – This cannot be overstated: Millennials are mobile. They rely on their smartphones for just about every aspect of their lives. The NRF says that almost 80% of millennials use their phones to do research on stores and products before they buy. They also like to pay with their phones, either in advance or with one of the mobile payment systems available. Check your website to make sure it is mobile friendly, make sure you can be found on Google maps and Google Business, and make sure you are equipped to accept mobile payments like Apple Pay. If you don’t do these things, your store will most definitely lose out on millennial business.

Millennials are certainly a force to be reckoned with in the retail world. Attracting them to your store is a must in the 21st century. The good news is, with a little effort on your part, there are quite a few things you can do to attract millennials and also keep them coming back.

PDRA Education – Make sure your staff are trained and ready for all of your customers!