Owning and operating a dollar store can be downright hard. With all the different responsibilities tugging at you every minute you are working in your dollar store business some of the basics can just slip by the wayside. One area where you do not have the luxury of allowing this to happen is where dollar store sales are concerned. After all, as all who are operating a dollar store can tell you, it is all about cutting cost, growing sales of dollar store items and driving bottom line profits ever-higher. Read on for some of the simple, yet often overlooked reasons shoppers do not buy – and your dollar store sales suffer.

• Waiting at the cash register to pay for the dollar store items they selected

Most shoppers are signaling they are done shopping and just want to pay when they approach the cash register. Their focus is to take this last step and then leave. Allowing them to go un-served at the cash register makes the very last experience – the one they are most likely to remember - negative.

• Unable to find the dollar store items they need and want

A disorganized and illogically arranged store is a formula for disaster for those who are operating a dollar store. Unhappy customers, lower dollar store sales, and few return visits are the consequences your business faces.

• No-one to answer questions

There is a balancing act between payroll costs and providing appropriate levels of customer care. Sales will suffer if shoppers cannot have even their most basic questions answered. Make sure there is someone available somewhere on the sales floor during the busy times. Make sure that person knows where items are located throughout the store.

• Dirty, unkempt shopping environment

Who wants to shop in a dark, dirty, disorganized store? Your customers do not need to shop in this kind of environment and will choose to take their business elsewhere if you allow this to happen. Make cleanliness and organization strengths and see the rewards.

If you are operating a dollar store and want to build your dollar store sales levels, then start by examining all the basics. Make sure you are doing the basics right, and sales of dollar store items should follow. Then you can start a campaign to ask shoppers what they want and need that you are not providing. Often there will be a strong message requiring just a few adjustments. Your shoppers will reward your attention with more frequent shopping trips and more and more purchases while in your store. Give it a try.