2022 is finally here. We don’t know about you, but we’re excited to see what it brings for the charity retail sector. While 2021 saw the industry attempting to find its feet in the new normal, we’re hopeful 2022 will bring with it more consistency and progress for the retail sector.

But how can you make sure you start the year strong? Today, we’re covering our top three tips for your charity and its stores starting 2022 in the best way possible.

Get planning

Flexibility is critical, as the past few years have shown. But having at least a rough idea of your priorities, goals, and objectives will be invaluable. It will help guide you through the year and ensure you’re always moving in the right direction.

A well thought out, strategic plan will save a lot of time and resources throughout the year. This allows you to make informed decisions quicker and keep focused on an end goal. And it’s best to do this on both a wider level across your charity and for each individual store.

Your planning over these next few weeks might involve: 

– Analysing the wider market and predictions for the future 

– Researching your customers

– Prioritising your goals in both the short- and long-term

You might also want to research any tech that could help you achieve your goals over the coming year. The more thought you put into this now, the quicker you can hit the ground running and overcome obstacles over the next few months.

Look after your people

It’s no secret that providing a competitive experience is critical for any retail store. But while many charities focus on their donors and beneficiaries (and rightly so!), sometimes the staff are overlooked.

Your charity’s volunteers and employees are critical to its success. Ensuring you’re providing them with a smooth, enjoyable experience is extremely important. Just like with customer data, staff data can provide valuable insights into what’s working in your organisation and what needs some extra attention.

A survey by Ecclesiastical found that almost half of senior leaders in the charity sector are considering walking away due to burnout and COVID-19 demands. By looking after your people, you can minimise turnover and boost productivity, guaranteeing a stronger future for your business and cause.

Focus on building relationships

Along a similar vein, when it comes to improving your customer experience, it’ll be useful to start the year with a focus on relationship building.

Personal messages to your donors and customers will go a long way in keeping your charity front and centre in their mind. Especially at this time of year, with spring cleanings looming on the horizon.

Whether it’s thanking them for dropping off a bag of donations, informing them of an upcoming sale, or letting them know how much money their donations have raised, the more involved you keep your mailing list, the more inclined they’ll be to come back to shop or donate.

No matter your priorities or objectives for the year, there’s plenty your charity can be doing now to start the year strong. The more proactive you are over the coming weeks and months, the more seamless and productive the year to come will be.

Nisyst’s CHARiotWeb has been designed to help your charity go further than ever before. Keeping everything simple for your staff and volunteers and automated email functions to help you build stronger relationships with your donors are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to CHARiotWeb. If you’d like to find out more, get in touch today on 01204 706 000.