• Improve Visibility:  Has your store become part of the landscape?  Have you become retail wallpaper?  Create excitement outside of your four walls to draw attention to your retail operation.  A-frame boards at the street, cold-air balloons on your roof, mascots waving in crowds, and search lights, etc,. all create and increase visibility.
• Nudge Your Customers:  For those stores that have customers' lists--reach out to your customers by emailing or calling-- inviting them back to your store.   All it takes is a friendly reminder to keep your retail establishment top-of-mind.
• Create Customer Loyalty:  Introduce a customer loyalty card and provide incentives for your core customers to visit your store more frequently.  Use these same loyalty incentives to turn casual customers into core customers.
• Launch Special Recognition Days:  Everyone wants to be recognized, so create an event at your store that recognizes and appreciates certain groups of customers such as key local employers; age groups (i.e. kid's day); or student specials.
• Create New Customers:  This LSM tactic is designed for restaurants. Establish new relationships in your three-mile radius with local businesses by offering catering of your proprietary foods; contact local hotels to promote your delivery to hotel guests; and set up meetings with your local chamber and surrounding schools and churches to hype your  restaurant as a great venue for their next event. 
• Start Product Sampling:  Here is another excellent LSM tactic for restaurants, whether they are full service or quick service. Want to entice trial of your proprietary food?  Deliver product samples to surrounding businesses in your three-mile radius.  Be sure to hand out menus with your product samples, and then watch the sales roll in.

These are just a few proven LSM tactics that retailers can begin to implement immediately for little or no cost.  Local Store Marketing is critical to your overall marketing strategy and a must in today's tight economy. The most successful retailers win the battle for customer traffic because they make an operational commitment to Local Store Marketing. They know Local Store Marketing captures the entire customer base in the critical three-mile radius surrounding their store.  In addition, they know that implementing Local Store Marketing is low cost or no cost.   Successful retailers effectively infuse their year-long promotional campaigns with Local Store Marketing, building a strong sales foundation for sustained and long-term growth--and you can too!
 
The decision is yours: you can either choose the passive route--letting your success or failure be predicated on customers opting for your retail establishment--OR you can aggressively maximize the sales opportunities within your three-mile business radius.  Prudent retail operators take control of their marketplaces with Local Store Marketing to maximize every sales opportunity.

About the Author
John Matthews is the founder and president of Gray Cat Enterprises Inc., a strategic planning and marketing services firm that specializes in helping businesses grow in the retail industry.  With more than 20 years of senior-level experience in retail and a frequent speaker at retail-group events, Matthews has recently written Local Store Marketing Manual for Retailers and Grand Opening Manual for Retailers, which are available at www.graycatenterprises.com. 

Rowan Baptist Church, located at 701 Rowan Rd. in Clinton, will be hosting a Life Line Screening for the community on Friday, May 2nd , 2009.  You must pre-register for all tests by calling 1-800-697-9693.  Life Line Screening will offer 5 different health screenings:

• Stroke/Carotid Artery Screening - looks for plaque build-up in the carotid arteries and leads to stroke.  (Up to 75% of all strokes are linked to carotid artery blockage). $45
• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) - checks for an aneurysm (enlargement) in the abdominal aorta that could lead to a ruptured aortic artery.  The majority of people who have an abdominal aneurysm have no symptoms and the mortality rate for a ruptured AAA is 80-94%. $45
• Ankle Brachial Index (ABI) - screens for Peripheral Arterial Disease (or PAD) in the lower extremities.  Peripheral Arterial Disease is a strong predictor for heart disease and the number 1 reason for leg amputation. $45
• Bone Density screening - tests both men and women for the early detection of osteoporosis.  $35
• *NEW* Atrial Fibrillation - testing for a heart arrhythmia which makes you 5 times more likely to have a stroke.  $45

These screenings are painless, non-invasive, and require ten minutes or less to complete.  The cost is for all 5 tests is $149.  These screenings are typically not part of a routine physical and costs about $600-$1,000 using similar equipment in the hospital setting.
 
Life Line Screening is now offering blood testing!  3 simple, finger-stick blood tests to identify risk factors for heart disease and diabetes.  These screenings include a complete lipid panel ($45), glucose (blood sugar) ($25) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP); a new test that identifies additional cardiovascular disease risk factor information ($45).  The cost is $99 for all 3.  You will get your results within 10 minutes!
You must pre-register for all tests by calling 1-800-697-9693.