As Bob Phibbs, also known as The Retail Doctor, points out, retailers should seek new local store marketing ideas because direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands are targeting their formerly loyal customers through social channels.

Price and promotion strategies that were once used to attract shoppers have lost their effectiveness, according to Phibbs, because many consumers realize that "once-in-a-lifetime," "Super Saturday," or friend and family sales are like buses - it's only a matter of time before another one comes along.

When curbside pickup, driven by the pandemic and fear of going into the store, disappeared for many retailers, and the need to find creative ways to bring shoppers back increased, Phibbs asked his followers to share some of their favorite methods to attract customers.

One of the first suggestions was to create your own YouTube channel. Eli J. Gurock created one that educates people about his company, Magic Beans, and its products and business. It generates a tremendous amount of goodwill, and viewers reciprocate by shopping.

A recent customer comment on one of the posts reads, "Baby is due in June - I'll be buying the Nuna Pipa RX from your store because you deserve the business for this awesome video! It's been a huge help with my first-time dad-to-be jitters."

Another tip was to hold a live shopping event. "Heidi West of Lifestyles of Saratoga noted that they started with Facebook and Instagram videos, but when they did a live shopping event where customers could click and buy products they were discussing right on their screen it really took off!" Phibbs says.

Another option is to create a sense of scarcity. Sharing her neighborhood marketing success with The Retail Doctor, Jennifer Backus of Jenn's Java said that, "during the initial lockdown, we posted 'Dessert Drops' with pictures of desserts as we were cutting them in the store. People would message us to reserve items and then come grab their assortment at the end of the day. Thankfully we've been able to stay open for at least pick up through the entire experience. It was wildly successful."

Finding novelty with mass appeal can help retailers too. A good example comes from Alberta, Canada, where Debbie Sue brought in locally grown heart-shaped cucumbers. “I special ordered them as a novelty item for Valentine's week at our garden center," she told Phibbs. "Posts, videos, sharing customers stories on Instagram. Value added. Literally no other retailer has these." 

"Attracting customers takes great visual merchandising, creative use of social media, and innovative use of how customers interact with you on the web, via email, and text," Bob Phibbs, the author of The Retail Doctor's Guide to Growing Your Business says.

According to him, building word-of-mouth buzz around your brand requires training your crew to open their hearts to a stranger, actively listening to what they are saying, and finding ways for them to buy what you have to sell.

"Miss that, and you’ll be stuck as a transactional retailer 'selling stuff.'"