When you open a dollar store one of the challenges you face is continually growing sales in your store. For most, the most frequently used method is to increase the traffic into the store. Generally as traffic increases so too will the number of sales made. Yet there is another way to grow sales. That is to increase the size of the average sale made in your store. There are actually many proven methods to increase the average sale. In this article we focus on 5 proven methods to help you increase the average sale size in your store.

#1) Focus on impulse items. It is important to really know your shoppers. By knowing their likes and dislikes you can provide exactly the merchandise they need and want. You can also carry the impulse items that are most likely to appeal to your regular shoppers. By having the right impulse items you open the door for shoppers to pick up one or two more items than they had planned to purchase during their visit to your store. Adding one or two items means one of two dollar or even more added to the majority of the sales you make. One or two dollars added to even 50% of the sales during a given day can add hundreds to your total sales for the day.

#2) Carry the proven hot selling merchandise. In addition to knowing your shoppers you must also know the marketplace. You must be in touch with what is being successfully sold by others in the industry. Vendors, industry publications and fellow store owners are all great sources of this information.

#3) Make it your practice to rotate merchandise to and from key locations in your store. Always work to give your store a new look when shoppers return for another visit. This doesn't mean to move departments about. Rather focus on your key merchandising locations such as end caps, bulk display areas and impulse display areas. Keep fresh items displayed to catch the attention of all shoppers; even those who come in to shop every week.

#4) Maximize the display space provided for dollar store merchandise at your checkout counters. Shoppers won't ever be in more of a buying mood than they are as they pull out their money to pay for their selections. That's the time to display hot sellers and impulse items. Devote space at every check stand to display those items. Don't forget to continually rotate new merchandise into the mix. You'll be rewarded with extra sales time and again every day.

#5) Don't forget the candy, gum and sodas. Make sure these items are prominently displayed in the appropriate departments as well as at cash registers. Many shoppers will grab a bottle of their favorite soda or a pack of gum as they await their turn to pay at the cash registers.



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