Time for a little update again :-) We are close to finishing the content of this update, and will begin bugfixing and balancing. But what have we been up to?

The population]

The city demographics has changed. So from being a city made of two values (wealth, and fashion sense) it now consist of various population groups, each with their own desires. Each segment have their own population and shopping patterns, so changing your opening hours might change the type of customers that enters the store. This also mean that you will need to gain reputation with each segment.

Customer interaction

Speaking of customers. A lot of feedback have indicated the desire for a new customer interaction system. So we have made just that. Increase a customers need for a specific category, or try to create a desire for a certain article. Play the long game and spend a lot of time with one customer who then might go shopping crazy, or try and reach them all and increase the overall average sale. If the store is completely empty, it is now also possible to go outside the store to try and convince people passing by to enter.

Staff talents

Away with the skills and in with talents. Your staff now need to learn how to perform various tasks. At first they are unsecure and make errors at new tasks, but will in time be very proficient and have special perks to their jobs. However they will ned to attend a course from time to time to unlock their true potential. So ask the right questions at the interview, or you might the the wrong employee, as they will not be able to perform all tasks from day one.

Marketing

Since there are a lot more reputation to uncover, you need some tools to do that. But fear not, the marketing functions has expanded. In the store, it is now possible to make forum posts at your computer. Target an audience, make some posts, and watch them grow with views and comments, as they generate reputation.

In your office you can plan out bigger campaigns with the catalogue designer. Select the size, the magazine, drag your desired ads onto the pages and customize your campaign to your needs. Attract more customers, increase the desire for categories, or become more known at a certain segment. Do one or do them all, the choice is yours.
So this is what you can expect in the next update, and we hope that it will be well received. And as always feedback as very welcome. Take care steamhappy

[ 2019-05-19 18:27:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

King of Retail is a store management simulation game, where you as the owner of a new store must make the right decisions to make your store thrive and bring you the big bucks. Can you handle the pressure, or will you fail miserably in a big bankruptcy?

As the owner and manager you have a lot of responsibilities on a daily basis.

You must:

Choose the direction of your store

Should it be a Shoe Store for the fashionable type, an Electronics Store for your everyday needs, or a giant Hypermarket that sells a bit of everything? Not everything will work. Trying to sell high-fashion, high-priced items in the poor part of town will not generate endless queues at your register. Will you try to dominate a competitive market, or go in an unexplored direction.

Control the article flow

For an article to be taken home by a customer, a lot of things must be taken care of. First you must select and order the articles. For a delivery to take place, the storage space must be able to receive and handle the delivered articles. The sales area must have the right displays and registers to showcase and sell the articles. Building a good relationship with your suppliers is key to be able to sell their more exclusive items. Oh, and by the way, which article should be the first for your customers to see when they enter your store? The bulk selling jeans, or the hyped silk shirt?

Get people inside your store

Build your reputation among your customers, and make your store the most sought after in town. A good marketing scheme, along with happy customers will work wonders for your income. But don't oversell your idea. If you can't keep what you promise, the customers will leave the store dissatisfied, and nothing ruins a store quicker than unhappy customers.

Please the customer

Create an enjoyable atmosphere for your customers to shop in, and theme your store, so they will know it is YOUR store they have entered. Make sure they receive the help they need, and that the lines for the registers don't grow too long. Manage the in-store marketing, so that both the fashionistas and the discount-hunters knows where to go, and which article to pick.

Manage your personnel

When you have too much on your plate to handle yourself, it might be the time for you to get some staff. Find interesting candidates among the applications. Conduct interviews, get a feel for the person, and decide if they match the role you need taken care of. Negotiate their salary and hire them. Keep them happy, and make sure they are not overworked. A great working climate gives great dedication. But you still need to sort the slackers from the workers. Invest time in the right persons, and train them to become better so when you need a stand-in for yourself, when you move to the next store, you can pick from your own home-grown talents.

Optimize the store

The difference between a good store and a great store lies in the detail. Weed out the poor selling articles, and get more of the good ones. Make sure you don't order unnecessarily many articles, but still enough that you don't run out. Optimize the prizes to increase the income. Find the customer patterns and adjust the opening hours accordingly. Plan an efficient staff schedule, so you don't pay people for doing nothing.

Prepare for big events

Is a VIP coming? Christmas soon? Black Friday? Can you spot the next big trend before anyone else? Adjust your actions according to the events occurring in a dynamic city that changes day by day.

All of this is is just an ordinary day as a store owner.

Are you ready to take on the challenge? If yes, then King of Retail is the game for you.