I have just open a new candy & ice cream store in town, How can I get hundreds of customers?

Question

most candies are Mexican, so, they are kind of hot or spicy, and some other are sour, but all of them are very good.

if you want to visit the store, here's the location:

I-45 north exit # 73 (rayford-sawdust), pass the traffic light, continue to follow feeder untill "Taqueria Arandas". the store is next to the restaurant, same building.

Answer 1

You have to get your name out there! You should have a big banner across your store that reads 'Grand opening', or something like and advertise free samples. Set up a table outside of your store and give tiny samples to people.

But you should also schedule this, so people will know to come! Hand out cards, put posters up, ask neighboring shops to hang up your advertisements and leave a stack of posters/advertisements in public places for people to grab.

Leave a poster or two on the counter in a fast-food restarant, ask a local school to hand out your posters, anything! Just gotta get your name out there! Good luck!

Answer 2

You need to find a good PR/marketing person. There sound be a big celebration event, and try to get your name out into the community. I am a Houstonian, and have done some PR/marketing. If you want to go big, let me know, I have a friend with a great resume who might be interested. Where are you located? I love this kind of stuff and would like to know more...maybe even throw out a few free ideas.

Answer 3

mmmmmh i love mexican candy.
you should have a grand-opening day where you allow ppl to sample some ice-cream or even mexican candy (good exposure).
run coupons and specials every week or something, and basically get a lot of young ppl to work for you or pass out candy on the street.
Halloween is coming up...you could do something real special for that, too. Good luck!

Answer 4

Pay for advertising!

Retail/food stores also need good locations with lots of foot traffic. Is there any way to attract more foot traffic to stop at your place? Maybe better signs?

Answer 5

Get a promo team of 2 hot female models to go around the area and sample you products.

Answer 6

A good marketing plan is an integral part, if not the most important part, of any successful business. Developing a marketing plan should be done before the business is ever open. Even the best product in the world will not sell if no one knows about it.

A good marketing plan starts with your USP, or unique selling point. This is what makes you different than your competition. It's the reason people will spend their money with you instead of your competition.

ATTENTION: Good/great products or service ARE NOT a unique selling point. They are a minimum expectation. Every business claims to have good/great products or service. You can not differentiate yourself from your competition by making the same claim they do.

Your USP is used in every aspect of your marketing from choosing a name, to developing a logo, creating signage, interior and exterior decorating, menu development, service style and advertising.

The first thing to do in your situation would be to find a USP. Choose a USP by making a statement about your business and filling in the blank.

I CAN MAKE MY CUSTOMERS FEEL ______________.

Associating your business with a particular feeling you can give your customers will make them remember you. Feelings have the biggest impact over where people decide to spend their money. Feelings are also the most effective way to create recognition. People will remember how your business made them feel long after they forget what they bought or who served them.

After you have chosen a USP, you need to evaluate the name and logo of your business and determine if it does three things:

1) Does my name/logo convey my USP?
2) Does my name/logo tell who I am?
3) Does my name/logo tell what I do?

If you sell ice cream and candies, and it's not painfully obvious from your logo that you sell ice cream and candies, you do not have an effective name/logo.

Other factors that determine the effectiveness of a logo include:

1) Use of a simple, easy to recognize color pattern. Gradients, non contrasting colors and too many colors muddle a logo and make it hard to remember.
2) Use of an easy to recognize shape in your logo.
3) Use of colors that create the desired emotional response in your customers.

People need to be able to spot your logo at a glance or from a distance, long before they can read all the words on it. A defined shape and simple color pattern helps accomplish this. Think McDonalds, Pizza Hut. Colors have a psychological effect on people. Different colors elicit different emotional responses from people. Make sure your color selections are getting the emotional response you need out of your customers.

Once your identity is well developed, you need to determine who your target market is. Who is most likely to buy your product? Define your market by gender, age range, marital status, income level, race and any other factors that can help you narrow it down. Don't make the common mistake of thinking EVERYONE is a potential customer. They're not, no matter what your ego tells you. Soime people are simply MORE likely to buy your product than other people.

When you know WHO is most likely to buy your product, you can then start thinking of how to reach them.

Next, you'll need to concentrate on getting the word out. There are many different ways to market, including advertising. Different methods work differently for every business. How you use each method will do more to determine the effectiveness of that method than what particular method you use. I have seen many a business owner write off television ads saying they don't work based on their experience using a poorly designed ad that wasn't aimed at their target market. For advertising, find mediums that can target your particular market. Don't waste money with "shotgun" advertising trying to reach everyone. It's too expensive and your response rate will be very low.

The single most effective market tactic you can implement is the building of a customer database. Advertising to customers who have already been in your business and experienced your products will yield a much, much higher return than marketing methods that concentrate on new customers. Use contests, comment cards and surveys to gather information about your customers. Store this information in Excel spreadsheets in a .csv file. Mass mailing services can use this file to address mailing pieces.

There are many, many different things you can do to create more traffic for your business. The key to finding out what works best is to simply try them. Every business is different.

If you would like some help via telephone or email, feel free to contact me for a free consultation.

Brandon O'Dell
O'Dell Consulting
Restaurants / Retail / Bars
[e-mail]
[phone]
http://www.bodellconsulting.com

Answer 7

Offer a free "sample" taste or buy 1 get 1 free. If they like the taste, they'll be back for more and pay for it.

Answer 8

Hey, Tex! Where is your store? I'm a native Houstonian.

Answer 9

advertise with flyers or go to time warner near west tidwell and see how much it would cost for you to advertise your ad's on timewarner ads on different cable channels

Answer 10

Advertise,...duh!