The value of a 'handbag' ledge on the front of your counter,... Thread

Read this tip in a retail bulletin and thought it was such a simple but great idea!

"Space At The Counter
Many city retailers do as much as 80% of their business during very predictable rush hours. The
limitations on income are dependent on the number of transactions that can be conducted in a fixed
period of time. At newsstands, take-away food restaurants, and card and gift shops, a consumer's
decision as to whether to purchase or browse can be profoundly influenced by lines at the cash
register.

In the nuts and bolts world of retailing, the classic formula of sales per square metre can be
misinterpreted as the effective area of cash wraps are shrunk to display more and more merchandise.
In one of our studies, we found that by providing a ledge at the cashwrap big enough to
accommodate a handbag or a briefcase, we cut average transaction time by about 15%. We shortened
the consumers 'fumbling' time. As a result, our client was able to fit 70 to 90 more transactions into
his morning and evening rushes.

For our client, that 15% made the difference between breaking even and making money."

This tip comes from Paco Underhill of Envirosell, author of 'Why We Buy. The Science Of
Shopping' and 'Call of the Mall'.