Identify New Ways to do Old Things

Case Study 4: Streamlining Operations and Reducing Costs in Retail

Challenge: Reduce operational inefficiencies and boost profitability in a fast-paced retail environment.

Approach: After spending time observing the flow of traffic through the store by both employees and customers I identified areas where bottlenecking was hampering sales.

On the sales floor I aligned aisles to make them easier to pass through and see from multiple points in the store. I increased signage to direct people where they wanted to be, and the wall space for our best selling and profitable items to make them visible and easy to shop. I placed high ticket items near points where there would most likely be an employee to interact with the customer and answer questions.

In the store room I did a complete overhaul and changed the entire inventory setup to make it easier for staff to pass through aisles and not be in each other’s way. It created a place for add-on items near the exit of the storeroom for staff to easily grab on their way out. Finally I created a new storage area to increase visibility of back stock items to be restocked quicker.

Lastly, I implemented systems for employees to bring customers through their sales journey. This made sure that every point of their experience was connected to a product to increase ticket counts and overall sales.

Results: With one of the largest stores by square foot in the company we were able to operate with one of the smallest staffs and have the highest Items Per Ticket count and Sales Per Ticket than every other store.