Retail News - September/October 2011

From a simple draw or giveaway to an elegantly catered private sale, promotional events attract customers and boosts sales

Hire;decorators. Find out who has a knack for designing and painting store windows, and save yourself the money, time and energy by hiring them to complete these tasks if you don’t have a competent staff member on hand.

Involve children. Set up a small table with construction paper, scissors, glue and crayons where children can create decorations while mom and dad are shopping. Hang their works of art to get your other customers in the holiday spirit and communicate a sense of community.

Remember;your;reps. They may be able to provide you with free holiday decorations and sales aids. Order early to ensure availability and the best selection.

Dress;up. Decorations needn’t be limited to your walls and windows. Encourage your staff to don festive hats, custom-designed t-shirts or buttons (with your logo, of course).

PARTNERING;WITH;CHARITIES The holidays bring out the generosity in nearly everyone. When you contribute, you feel good about yourself as a business owner in the community and you also send a positive message about your store to others. Here are some ideas:

Serve;as;a;drop-off;centre. Place large, decorative and well-marked boxes by the door or sales counter for customers to donate gifts and canned goods.

Donate;a;part;of;your;sales. Contribute a certain percentage of your sales to a particular cause – and let customers know. An affiliation with a charity encourages purchases

by customers who feel good when they give, and adds to the overall favourable esteem and reputation of your business.

Invite;charitable;organizations. Set up a table for community groups to collect financial and other donations from customers. Encourage your employees to participate by offering them one paid hour per week to help out.

HOS TING;IN-STORE;EVENTS

If you don’t do in-store events during the year, consider making an exception for the holidays. Chances are your competitors will take advantage of a festive promotion or two. From a simple draw or giveaway to an elegantly catered private sale, promotional events attract customers and boosts sales. But make sure you:

Plan ahead. Spend time organizing to make sure everything is covered. You’ll need time to coordinate with vendors, other retailers and community groups. Use email, direct mail, your blog, newspapers and radio or television to get the word out well in advance.

Team;up;with;other;retailers.;A florist, for example, could display red roses in crystal vases from your store or you could invite a bakery to contribute goodies. Collaborating with other businesses on promotions saves you money.

Include;musicians. What are the holidays without a melody? Generate good cheer by inviting local singers or hire a string quartet. Do any of your employees play music? Maybe they’d like to perform solo or put a small group together.

Organize;a;joint;charitable;event. Invite a community group to be part of your promotional event. For example, you could co-host a combination holiday sale and pancake breakfast with a food bank. However you design your in-store holiday event, present a unique theme, but ensure it’s inline with the year-round character of your store.

OFFERING;EXTRAS

The more you give your customers during the holiday season, the more likely they’ll shop at your store. Maximize fourth-quarter sales by taking a critical look at value-added features, services, bonuses and perks to differentiate your store from the competition.

Special;orders. You do your best to provide the products your customers want, but if you don’t carry or can’t get a certain line, customers will look elsewhere.

Gift-wrap. It goes without saying that customers will appreciate the time you save them when you wrap their purchases in pretty paper and ribbon.

Store;hours. Take note of your competitors’ hours and match or exceed them. Consider keeping your doors open longer and opening on Sundays, if you don’t already.

It’s never too early to plan for the holiday season, but you shouldn’t leave it to the last minute. You need to leave some wiggle room for the unexpected and undesirable, like shipping errors, dissatisfied customers, sick employees and financial hurdles.