Whoa, it’s the end of July already? 2018 is flying by. This means the holiday season will be upon us soon! Here is a list of some of the biggest shopping days leading up to the Holiday season.
- Thanksgiving is November 22nd
- Black Friday is November 23rd
- Small Business Saturday is November 24th
- Cyber Monday is November 26th
According to the 2017 Holiday Planning Playbook, “more than half of holiday shoppers said that they started researching potential purchases in October or earlier.” Those same statistics show that holiday shoppers begin their heavy purchasing in November. Most of us here at Linked Retail are ex-retailers, so we understand how significant this time of year is for business. It’s never too early to start preparing for the best (and most chaotic) time of year. In light of this, we decided to share some tips to make your 2018 holiday season a smooth sail:
Sale, sale, sale! The number one way to get a customers attention is a sale, especially during the holiday season when they feel they are already maxed out on stress for a million other reasons. It’s not just one thing to have a sale, but have a sale that people can’t resist and advertise it. Whether it be one big bargain a day, coupons, or a certain percent off after X has been spent, make sure it is a good enough discount that will capture the consumer’s attention. Remember: everyone is a bargain shopper. A customer will go with your competitor if they see your competitor selling the same item but has a better deal.
“48% of customers said free shipping and shipping promotions was a key factor in purchasing from a retailer” – Invespcro.com
Decorate your store and store windows to look and feel like a Winter Wonderland. What better way to get your customers into the holiday spirit than to make them feel like they’re walking into Santa’s workshop? The decorations should also be something that will draw a big crowd and get people talking about your store. (Don’t forget to have your sale posted amongst the decorations!)
Whether your store is inside of a mall or on the square in a small town, have an event that’ll draw everyone out of the woodwork to get their shopping done all at once! In the small town of Bay City, Texas, they have an event called “Christmas On The Square” where all of the stores on the square in the middle of the town (typically mom and pop stores) stay open late so that the working class can make it in to their shops to purchase from their holiday selection. Holding this type of event makes the customers feel appreciated and more willing to come out to shop since you are staying open late specifically for them. This idea may not work for every business type, but finding an event that suits you and your business is great for customer interaction and pleasing your customers.
Using different types of campaigns for promoting your products. Good campaigns to use to your advantage during this holiday season are email campaigns, newsletters, positive internet presence and including mystery offers that build the impulse in customers.
Create a sense of urgency in your customers. “Limited Time Offer!” or “2-day sale!”, are both great examples of lighting a fire under your customer to get them through the doors. Letting them know that you and your goods are here to make holiday shopping quick and painless. “Another strategy that works is offering products for a limited time. Customers who missed the opportunity for a purchase are sometimes watching sales announcements to make sure they catch the product when it is available again. This has a dual benefit for creating a sense of urgency. It actually helps to create a solid demand for a product, and it allows the company to profile the customers who are waiting for it.”
“You don’t close a sale; you open a relationship if you want to build a long-term, successful enterprise.” – Patricia Fripp
Hopefully, your business thrives during the fourth quarter of the year thanks to a few of these tips. You’d be surprised at the increase of sales if you use even just one of these techniques.
Sources:
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/create-holiday-retail-rush-for-your-small-business-2948469
https://squareup.com/townsquare/9-retail-stats-that-will-help-you-dominate-the-holiday-season