Running a retail or grocery business isn’t just about providing customers with the goods and services they require — you must also consider how they go about shopping in your store. The better you know your customers and what they want, the better you can serve them, and the more satisfied your customers are, the more likely they are to continue giving you their business. 

Shopping carts and baskets play a significant role in maintaining this relationship. The vessels you provide for your customers can interrupt or streamline their shopping journey depending on your choices. With so many basket options available, though, it can be challenging to determine which types of baskets are best suited for the majority of your base. You might think that bigger is better, but smaller baskets have their advantages as well. In fact, mini shopping baskets can play an important role in a number of shops. The question remains: are mini baskets right for you and your customers?

If the following statements are true for you, mini baskets might be right for your store.

How to Know You Should Use Mini Baskets

You Primarily Sell Smaller Items

If you’re not sure where to begin when investing in baskets for your shop, start by auditing the items you sell. Mid-sized to larger products might take up the entirety of a mini basket (if they fit at all), rendering these tiny vessels useless for such purposes. Conversely, though, little things like cosmetics, office supplies, candy bars, trading cards, berries, etc., often fit perfectly into mini baskets. If the majority of your products are diminutive in this way, smaller baskets might simply make more sense. After all, most customers won’t want to carry a large basket around if they barely cover the bottom with their purchase. In this context, mini shopping baskets are simply more convenient, less burdensome, and still allow customers to gather everything they need when shopping at your location.

You Have Limited Space Requirements

Every inch of your store matters. If it’s too empty, you’re missing opportunities to advertise and sell products — if it’s too cluttered, your customers might not feel comfortable taking their time, which often translates to fewer sales. As we recall from the story of Goldilocks, you want your store to be just right. So, if your store is relatively small, filling it with large baskets and carts can become a major obstacle for everyone inside. One of the biggest benefits of mini baskets is that they barely take up space and be easily placed in optimal locations around your store. Of course, if these tiny baskets aren’t practical for the types of things you sell, you should find other ways to save space and offer the right kinds of vessels for your customers.

You Want to Give Your Customers More Options

When it comes to purchasing shopping baskets for your store, you’re not limited to a single type. As long as your budget and capacity allow, you can provide your people with mini baskets, standard baskets, large baskets, tall baskets, rolling baskets, various carts, and so on. Again, there should be a good reason for deploying all of these options (i.e. you sell a wide variety of products of different sizes and/or have a broad spectrum of customers with different needs). Simply put, mini baskets might be a suitable addition to your arsenal of unique shopping baskets and carts, especially if you’re trying to please as many of your customers as possible.

You’re Looking for Ways to Increase Impulse Sales

Not every customer will enter your shop with a plan. And even those who are looking for a specific item or two might wind up grabbing some extra stuff if it’s easy for them to do so. One way to encourage these impulse sales is by providing convenient mini baskets at your shop’s entrance and throughout your store. This way, a customer might grab the basket right off the bat and decide to fill it up as they go, or pick up a basket in the middle of the store after realizing they want to buy a few more things. Either way, they’ll likely end up spending more than they might have otherwise.

You Want to Encourage Parents to Bring Their Kids

Every business owner is of a different mind when it comes to having children in their store (usually based on past experiences). That said, there’s no denying that the presence of kids leads to increased sales, even if it’s a single small item. If you want your store to remain kid-friendly, offering mini custom shopping baskets and carts can go a long way. These smaller vessels are the perfect size for smaller people and give children something to do while their parents or guardians shop. Even if the child doesn’t end up putting anything in their mini basket, plenty of kids simply enjoy feeling like they’re in control of the shopping trip and will want to come back, which is great for your shop’s long-term reputation and brand loyalty.

Honey, I Shrunk the Baskets

At first glance, mini baskets might seem like somewhat of a novelty. However, the more you understand the many benefits of these vessels, the more you might realize that your store has been missing out on these little assets. If you sell small products, have limited space, want to give your customers more options, wish to increase impulse sales, and keep the kids occupied all the while, mini baskets are worth considering — and Good L Corp. has exactly what you need. Good L Corp. delivers innovative shopping cart and basket solutions for retailers on a global scale. From a fleet of new custom carts to launch your store opening to replacement baskets that supplement your existing shop supply, Good L Corp. can configure the right carryall strategy to boost your retail business. Let’s get started! Contact us today for a no-pressure sales quote.