The Ultimate Retail Back to School Special

For many retailers, the back to school season is the busiest season next to the holidays. With parents and kids out shopping away, spending big on everything from new clothes and shoes to school supplies and lunch essentials, this is prime competition time for those in the relevant categories. So, how can you be sure to compete during this hectic selling season? We’ve got some retail merchandising tips to help.

If you haven’t already, start now. Like, right now. Waiting too long to get things going will just mean lost sales. While the majority of shoppers will wait until later in the summer, there are a significant number that will start early, and so you want to be sure you’re prompting those sales whenever possible.

Make sure shelves are stocked ALL THE TIME. When stock sits in the backroom, it isn’t going to sell, so make sure that your employees are always on top of what is needed, and refilling empty slots as often as possible.

Make sure you have enough people on the floor – knowledgeable, experienced people – to handle the rush. You always want to ensure the shortest lines possible so that customers don’t get frustrated (as this can significantly impact overall customer experience and loyalty) and that all questions in-store are answered a quickly as possible.

Use your social media to create a buzz. Post regular questions and promotions to get people talking. Participate in discussions whenever you can. The more exposure you get online, the greater your reach and the more likely you are to entice those customers to head to your location to shop for back to school gear. Consider running a contest to get people to share your content, thereby reaching an even greater audience.

Stand out. With so much competition it is imperative that your products stand out in order to garner the most interest and boost sales. One of the best ways to do this is by taking advantage of the latest trends and highlighting them in a major way. Create displays in high-traffic areas that feature products that are hot right now, pairing them with complementary items.  This could mean those ever-popular superheroes on everything from t-shirts to backpacks, or the healthy snacks that parents want for their kids.

The back to school season can be hectic, but by getting ready now and taking the right approach, the sales will speak for themselves.

Want a little extra help? That’s where we come in. Visit Marketsupport today to find out how we can support you: www.storesupport.ca.

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