It’s that time of year! The time when people are planning their family holiday trips, people start to put together wish lists, and of course, people start frantically trying to find the perfect gift for their friends and family. So how can you and your retail business prepare for this upcoming flurry of holidays?
Start preparations now
You might think that preparing for the holiday season in September is early, but actually, studies have shown that consumers start to plan their shopping as early as October. By starting to plan and prepare for the holiday season now, you and your business will be able to better handle the on-pouring of customers.
For many smaller, local business in Northwest Arkansas, Tulsa or Little Rock, prepping for the holiday season means competing with larger, big-box stores like Walmart and Best Buy. By starting to plan your business’ holiday season now, you are ensuring that you and your business are ready when the season starts to pick up.
You also need to plan your supply chain, which will be affected by the heavy holiday shipping season. On Time Logistics is based in Northwest Arkansas with offices in Little Rock and Tulsa. We are ready to help with your holiday season supply chain needs with various logistics services including last mile delivery services.
Market online and locally
In the ever-expanding online network, it is important to start marketing and advertising your business there. Many successful companies have used email and social media to reach their customers. Do not stick to TV ads or traditional mail ads, especially during the 2017 holiday season.
When looking at smaller businesses in Northwest Arkansas, Little Rock and Tulsa, it is important to remember to use your local network. Unlike the larger corporations, you have the benefit of being locally owned and operated, giving your business a more personal touch. Do not forget to use this local network during the holiday shopping season.
Make it onto customer’s gift radar
Simply preparing and marketing your business is not enough. To truly be successful this holiday season, you need to get onto the customer’s radar. Whether you know it or not, with the holiday season fast approaching, every time a customer comes into your store, they are adding things or removing things from their gift wish-list. Customers also get a lot of gift inspiration from walking around a store.
This is why it is essential that you organize and market your business to reflect the wishes of the customers. Make sure that you are highlight some of the best products and sales that your business has to offer. In areas like Northwest Arkansas, Little Rock and Tulsa, this can mean having window displays that draw in customers and a strategically laid out store to further entice customers.
You should offer hold periods or even layaway options for certain items, especially if a customer feels particularly attached to it. This helps them know that you are invested in them and that you are there to help them.
What other tips do you have for preparing for the 2017 holiday season? Are you changing your methods based on projections for retail growth? No matter what you’re doing, we hope you’ll give us a call to help you with your holiday retail needs.