If you are a store owner wanting to increase retail foot traffic, an ATM can help. When competing with other retailers, getting customers through the door is half the battle. Whether you operate a convenience store, liquor store, smoke shop, laundromat, salon, or independent grocery, increasing foot traffic directly impacts sales, customer loyalty, and long-term profitability.

Fortunately, small operational changes and strategic additions can make a major difference. Here are 7 effective ways you can increase your retail foot traffic including one overlooked solution that brings customers inside while also generating revenue: ATM placement.

1. Offer In-Store Convenience Services

Customers are more likely to visit stores that solve multiple needs at once. Adding convenience-based services encourages repeat visits and increases time spent on site.

Popular add-on services include bill payment kiosks, lottery sales, money transfer services, package pickup/drop-off, coffee or snack stations, and ATM machines.

The more reasons customers have to stop by, the more opportunities you create for additional purchases.

Specifically, ATMs work because they create a reason for people to enter your business. Many customers searching for cash will choose the nearest ATM location, and once they’re inside, impulse purchases often follow. For cash-heavy businesses especially, an ATM can also encourage higher spending because customers have immediate access to cash on site.

2. Improve Exterior Visibility

Your storefront is your first impression. Even excellent businesses lose potential customers if people don’t notice them. 

You can improve visibility with bright signage, window graphics promoting specials, sidewalk signs or banners, well-lit entrances, and clearly visible hours of operation. If you install an ATM, exterior ATM signage can also attract drivers and pedestrians looking specifically for cash access.

3. Run Limited-Time Promotions

Urgency motivates action. Promotions that are time-sensitive encourage customers to visit sooner rather than later. For example, you can offer weekend-only specials, BOGO offers, loyalty rewards, seasonal discounts, and flash sales. These can be advertised on social media for more reach, too.

Furthermore, combining promotions with ATM availability can increase average transaction size by making cash immediately accessible to customers.

4. Build a Strong Local Presence

Customers often prefer businesses that feel connected to the local community. Therefore, consider sponsoring local events and school fundraisers. You can host community giveaways and partner with neighboring businesses.

An ATM can also strengthen your location’s reputation as a neighborhood convenience hub, especially in areas with limited banking access. And you can customize your ATM equipment with local high school or college branding to show support for your community. 

5. Optimize Your Store Layout

A cluttered or confusing store discourages browsing. A clean, intuitive layout encourages customers to stay longer and make additional purchases.

Focus on clear walking paths, organized product displays, and high-demand items near the back of the store. Put impulse-buy sections near the checkout. And make sure your space is clean and well-lit.

Store layout, lighting, and cleanliness also impact ATM usage. You want your ATM to be clearly visible, easily accessible, and safe. Strategically placing an ATM near the entrance or checkout area can increase visibility while encouraging usage and additional in-store spending.

6. Use Social Media to Drive Visits

Even small retailers benefit from active social media marketing. Posting regularly keeps your business top-of-mind and gives customers a reason to visit. It also meets them where they are, improving your reputation for being engaged and involved.

Share content like new product arrivals, daily specials, customer shoutouts, behind-the-scenes videos, and event announcements. If your store has an ATM, mention the convenience factor in your posts, especially if nearby bank branches or ATMs are limited or charge more.

7. Create a Better Customer Experience

Friendly service still matters. Customers return to businesses where they feel welcomed and valued.

Simple improvements could include fast checkout times, friendly greetings, clean restrooms, consistent product availability, and well-trained employees.

Convenience also contributes to customer satisfaction. Offering on-site ATM access removes friction and helps customers complete purchases without leaving your store.

Adding an ATM Can Increase Retail Foot Traffic

One of the simplest ways to increase foot traffic and create passive income is through an on-site ATM. Each of the 7 ways to increase retail foot traffic above rely on or at least include ATM benefits. 

Increasing retail foot traffic doesn’t always require expensive advertising campaigns or major renovations. Often, the most effective strategies focus on convenience, visibility, and customer experience.

Adding an ATM is one of the few upgrades that can simultaneously bring more customers into your store and increase average purchase amounts. It improves customer convenience and has the potential to generate additional monthly income. 

If you don’t already have one, there are two routes to getting an ATM into your retail store: purchase and operate one yourself or participate in an ATM placement program.

How an ATM Placement Program Works

Owning and operating an ATM machine requires initial equipment purchase and ongoing cash loading, troubleshooting, and software and hardware maintenance. If you have the bandwidth to add those responsibilities to your workload, you can own and operate your own ATM machine and consider the surcharge income an additional revenue stream.

However, you can also increase retail foot traffic and offer added convenience to your customers without the extra effort through an ATM placement program. In this scenario, an independent ATM deployer (IAD) handles all of the logistics of ATM operation in exchange for a location (your store) to operate from! 

It’s a win-win, and you may even be able to negotiate a share of the surcharge revenue and still benefit from that added income for a fraction of the effort and almost no startup cost. In most cases, ATM placement programs are free to enter!

If you work with ATMDepot, the process is as easy as completing an ATM placement request and getting paired with an IAD in your area.

With an ATM placement program, a provider installs and maintains the ATM at little or no upfront cost to you, the business owner. In this arrangement, retailers benefit from increased customer visits, additional impulse purchases, and improved convenience for customers. 

An added bonus is the potential for passive surcharge revenue. In an ATM placement program, you reap all the benefits of increased retail foot traffic without the hassle of managing cash loading or maintenance, depending on your contract agreement.

Businesses like convenience stores, gas stations, bars and nightclubs, smoke shops, restaurants, salons, laundromats, hotels, and entertainment venues commonly benefit from ATM placement.

For many retailers, an ATM becomes more than a convenience feature; it becomes a revenue-generating traffic driver.

Bottom Line: Get an ATM in Your Store

If you’re looking for a practical way to grow retail foot traffic while adding value for customers, an ATM placement program may be worth exploring. However, if you are driven more by additional revenue, consider operating your own machine. Either way, if you don’t already have an ATM on-site, learn more about how to get one today!