The holidays are less than a month away and every business wants to get a piece of the holiday action. Hands down, nearly all retail stores consider Christmas as one of their peak seasons, and with consumers a lot more willing to loosen their purse strings, it becomes all about offering the best deals and discounts – or is it?
You don’t want Christmas shoppers to be everywhere – you want them in your store! These tips will show you how:
- It’s never too late to decorate.
If you find that all other stores have put up their holidays decorations and signs and you haven’t lit a single holiday bulb– don’t despair. You have a blank canvass, and you can draw inspiration from what you see. Better yet, since you’ve seen all the other decorations, it’ll give you an idea of what’s not out there yet, and that can be your store! Be unique and creative; once you’re done, your store will have a fresh look while other stores’ may have already worn off.
- The Calendar Crunch.
So you only have a few weeks left to plan. Whip out your calendar and mark your important sale dates. Create your schedule (which would be tight) and stick to it. Have you ordered those flyers yet? If you want to send holiday coupons, when do you need to design and submit it for printing? If pressed for time, OnlinePrinting offers quick turnaround and Express Service for all your printing needs.
- Hone in on those holiday cards.
Send a personalized holiday card to your loyal customers. You can even use your newly spruced up store front as part of your card design. Thank them for their support all year long, and tell them you want to spread the holiday cheer by inviting them to a special event or sale, or offer a free gift or holiday discount.
- Help customers spend their money.
Great customer service goes a long way, especially during the holidays when people are cramming to get their Christmas shopping done. Help your customers out with personal shoppers, free-gift-wrapping stations, or even pre-wrapped gifts.
- Sell the gift of giving.
Gift cards are one of those great things that come in small packages. Add appeal to your gift cards by having them customized into unusual sizes and holiday shapes, or offering to have them wrapped as well. You can also offer a give one-get one option so your shoppers get a gift too!
- Use your senses!
Appeal to your shoppers’ five senses. Attract attention with holiday music and seasonal scents like pine or gingerbread, perhaps even have some cookies or eggnog to offer your shoppers. Add comfortable seating while they wait for presents to be wrapped. Pair these with festive holiday décor and your customers might shop just a little bit longer.
- All I want for Christmas…
Many shoppers are so absorbed in completing their Christmas shopping that they forget to get a gift for themselves. Put up posters and window signage reminding your shoppers to treat themselves too! Offering high discounts or two-for-one deals might just be the treat they are waiting for.
Embrace the holiday spirit and welcome those shoppers with open arms! Cheers!
