This year’s holiday shopping season is the shortest it can possibly be—a full six days shorter than last year thanks to a late Thanksgiving. Most retailers depend on these December weeks to account for 20% of their annual sales! With such a condensed shopping season, the pressure is on to make each day count in order to meet your sales goals. Partnering with Wish Local is a surefire way to get more shoppers into your retail store, but there are a few more key steps you can take to make sure the browsers become buyers. Read on to discover how to make the most of your Wish Local holiday foot traffic to boost sales at your retail store.
Knowing exactly when your customers are most likely to be shopping within certain categories can help inform your merchandising, marketing, and inventory strategies. According to research done by digital knowledge management company Yext, retailers should anticipate a shopping boost in the following:
Research released by Cal Tech suggests that customers are willing to pay up to 50% more for items they can touch and interact with. This gives brick-and-mortar shops a distinct advantage over e-commerce. Use this to your benefit by displaying popular electronics, offering testers of beauty products, or feeding snack samples to hungry shoppers.
There’s more to the holidays than just gifts. Travel, entertaining, and hosting out-of-town guests all influence consumer spending. Consider what hosts and travelers are likely to need and have them displayed at eye level. Batteries for toys, baby items, socks, and cell phone chargers all come to mind. Some Wish Local partners have received inventory of Consumable Packaged Goods (CPGs) like toiletries and cleaning products. Stocking personal care items saves your customers an errand, and they’ll be more likely to buy from you.
Tensions run high right before Christmas. Shoppers can be frazzled, stressed, and occasionally rude. Diffuse tense situations and boost customer loyalty by showing grace under pressure. Consider these techniques:
Even if your small retail business has never tried email marketing before, now is the time to give it a shot! Marketing research from McKinsey & Company shows that email promotions lead to purchases three times more often than social media. Services like Constant Contact and MailChimp make reaching your customers a breeze. You can use email to:
The most wonderful time of the year is coming at us at warp speed. During the rush, stay jolly, and don’t forget to breathe!