Holiday Shopping Madness – Is Your Retail Strategy Ready?
It is the beginning of November now, and that means the holidays will be here before you know it. No matter how aware we are of the time, the holiday shopping season always seems to creep up on us. We know it’s coming, but still seems to catch us off guard. This year, make sure that your retail strategy is in place and avoid any surprises.
Our first piece of advice: look at last year’s numbers. Analyzing your holiday numbers is a great way to help prepare for the weeks ahead. Sure, those numbers will change and you can’t base everything solely on those numbers, but they should at least give you an idea of what you need to prepare for.
Make sure you have enough people. Customer service is so vital during the holiday season, and no matter how well we think we’ve prepared, many retailers still fall short when it comes to providing adequate support to shoppers in-store. Long line-ups, no help in sight, empty shelves – all of these things combine to create a less-than-stellar shopping experience – an experience that can seriously hinder band loyalty.
Pay attention to the competition. What promotions are they running? How are they attempting to entice customers – some of whom are your own – to spend at their location? By staying up-to-date on what promotions your competitors have going for the holidays, you can cater yours to avoid customers leaving for greener pastures.
Keep it clean. By far, one of the biggest customer complaints over the holiday season, after service, is cleanliness. If your customers are making a mess (and we know they are), they are also expecting you to clean up after them. Keeping aisles tidy and the store in tip-top shape, no matter the time of day/week, will keep customers from leaving with a bad taste in their mouths.
Run an experiential marketing campaign. Customers love to test/try something before they buy. If a new product is being launched during the holiday season, spark some interest by giving customers the chance to stop and check out the new product. This is also a great way to slow shoppers down – and we all know, the longer a shopper spends in your store, the more they’ll buy.
This year, avoid the pitfalls that too often accompany the holiday shopping madness by getting a plan in place well in advance. We have the tools and experience to help. Get in touch with Marketsupport today by calling 1-877-421-5081.
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