Received a voucher?  What to do next.

If you have received a voucher like this, please click here to check your eligibility and review our terms and conditions.  More information about our service is below. 

Register for our online service now – FREE (Usually £49.95) 

Take Part in the 5 Step Plan

2013-2014 is the last year of the Village Shop Support Scheme.  We are striving to positively impact on as many village shops and post offices across the county in the last 12 months of the programme.

We have put together a simple 5 step plan, which we are confident can positively impact on your turnover and profitability.  There is no cost to take part, and simply following the steps and action could have a big difference on your pocket!

To take part, drop us an email now and we’ll set everything up for you.  Simple as…!  

Sign me up – I want more turnover!

Village Shop Support

For Retailing Businesses in Leicestershire

Its a tough time to be a rural retailer in the UK.  Aggressive tactics from large supermarkets, changes in the way people shop, compounded by a perceived drop in disposable income from UK consumers. Leicestershire Rural Partnership have recognised this and will be providing free independent and specialist retail consultancy to help protect, support and grow this vital sector of our community.

What type of support?

Funded by Leicestershire County Council, the Village Shop Support service will offer Retailing businesses support delivered in four ways:

1. Online Support 24/7

Leicestershire retailers will have free access to a range of retail training, support and assessment tools, accessible online 24/7, here at kerchingretail.com.  (Usual price £49.95 per year) – Sign up now for free!

2. 121 Email support

Retailing businesses selling essential fresh produce to rural residents across the county can get advice and specific questions answered by specialist retail consultancy on a 121 basis.

3. 121 Telephone support

A specialist advisor will be available for 121 telephone discussions to retailing businesses selling essential fresh produce to rural residents – answering specific questions, dealing with challenges or exploring opportunities for growth over the phone.

4. Face to Face support

Where required, ‘Face to Face Support’  is available for retailing businesses selling essential fresh produce to rural residents. The support may include: retail assessments, store audits, analysing window displays, staff skills, and advising on suitable follow-up tools a business might use to increase its turnover.  Kerching Retail can even deliver training sessions for your staff.

5. Grant support

Rural Retailers can get up to £3,000 to enhance existing services and introduce new ones. For more information contact Leicestershire Rural Partnership.

What support will I get?

The service is designed to help a retailing business increase its turnover profitably where possible, which in turn will solve or finance solving challenges a business may have.  In increasing a store’s turnover, the Village Shop Support service will look at the various aspects of retailing best practise which Attract, Convert and Retain or Keep Customers shopping with you time and time again.

For instance:

Attracting Customers might look at your window displays, the cleanliness of the exterior, your visibility, your external signage, advertising and marketing spend.  Whether you use promotions to draw customers into your store.

The Converting of Customers looks at various aspects including Layout, use of hotspots, merchandising skills, whether the store uses retail theatre and engages customers emotions, pricing, promotional materials, special offers in store, your staff’s sales skills, their customers service levels.

Retaining looks at what activity you do to get customers coming back to you time and time again.  Having and using a database to drive traffic, using a website or Facebook to communicate regularly with customers, loyalty schemes, product packaging or wrapping extending beyond the store,

These are just some of the 70 things the Village Shop Support service will explore when seeking opportunities for your business to grow.

What does the service cost?

The service is funded by Leicestershire County Council and provided free of charge to retailers across Leicestershire by Kerching Retail – making your till ring!.  Any retailer in Leicestershire will be able to access the online service free of charge, whilst retailing businesses selling essential fresh produce in settlements of 7,000 or less residents will be able to access the 121 Telephone, 121 Email and Face to Face support.

Recipients of the 121 and Face to Face support will be prioritised for communities with a population of less than 7,000 with limited access to retailing services.  For more information contact or Kerching Retail.

How do you access the service?

Accessing the service is very simple.

Visit: www.kerchingretail.com/vss

Email: vss@kerchingretail.com

For Grants contact: LRP

Telephone: 01455 203 206