The holidays can make or break your retail business

25 Oct 2018

For most retailers, the holiday season drives a significant portion of their revenue. It is important for your holiday marketing efforts to be focused to stay ahead of your competitors and gain the attention of holiday shoppers. Take advantage of the extra traffic that comes with the festive season and ramp up your retail sales.

Here are some tips to stand out from the holiday clutter and make consumers take notice of your brand:

Proximity marketing to draw in the crowd

Ensure you know the demographics of the shopping venue you are located in so you can choose your products accordingly. Focus on your niche and own it by leveraging valuable customer data.

To make communication more personalised and relevant, reach out to customers based on their accurate positions.

This will drive interest in your products and services, increase the chances of conversion and maximise revenue.

Remarketing your offerings as a gift

Research shows that consumers frequently struggle with what kinds of gifts to give, with the preference being gift cards.i

 

Help consumers with the challenging task of gift selection this festive season by remarketing your offerings as a gift – this will generate more interest in your offerings.

Research also shows that experiences make recipients feel closer to the giver as opposed to material gifts, regardless of whether the gift is consumed.ii

Consider gift card options which offer the flexibility of cash, but the packaging of a gift. They will also help to increase your brand awareness amongst recipients.

Check previous year’s buying patterns to craft a plan

Craft a plan based on previous buying patterns to understand how consumers really feel about festive retail and predict when people actually make purchases. For example, Black Friday and New Year are popular for value gifts.

 

These patterns can also highlight market fluctuations, changes in buying preferences and changes in buying habits.

They can help you in targeting your marketing strategies and ensure you maximise your retail sales potential for the festive season.

If you don’t have a plan in place, start this year with StarHub’s Smart Retail Suite.

StarHub’s Smart Retail Suite is a digital solution that helps you streamline processes and boost store revenue. Stay ahead of the competition by leveraging valuable data analytics, automating business processes and increasing productivity.

 

Organise events & launch exclusive festive promotions

As most promotions are only available for a specific period of time, they work on the principle of urgency. The anticipation of missing out on a sale is what entices consumers to spend.

Think about how long you want the event or sale to last. For a Christmas themed promotion, celebrate the 12 days of Christmas with a different sale item each day. Ensure you communicate the sale period clearly to your potential customers.

Hold exclusive sales to reward your loyal customers by sending them a free product or a discount code. This will also help to increase the number of potential membership sign ups.

Events and promotions help keep customers engaged. Customers appreciate special touches which make them feel valued.

Sensory branding to create an atmosphere

As the first thing that potential shoppers see as they pass your store is the storefront, ensure that it appeals to casual shoppers. Make sure to sell your customers an experience.

Colour can be used for effective and interesting story-telling. For the Christmas season, consider using visuals like white snow or wooden interiors to transport your customers to another place. This also creates a warm, inviting atmosphere.

Our sensations of sight and touch are closely linked. Take advantage of interesting product positioning and displays to get people to touch your product.

People are more likely to grab something within convenient reach, and the longer they hold onto an item, the more likely they are to buy it. Consider sprucing up your festive display with different textures and arrangements.

Think about how you want to portray your brand. Volume, tempo and music selection create emotional connections which then trigger desired behaviours.  

Playing Christmas music during the festive season is a way to get consumers into the festive spirit and encourage them to spend money on their loved ones.

Have you ever been attracted to the aroma of baked goods or chocolate wafting out of a store during the festive period?

Smell or taste is a powerful way to spark emotional bonds and strengthen associations to your product. This festive period, consider deploying our senses and feelings associated with warmth and celebration to draw customers into your retail store.

 

Turn this festive season into your greatest success yet. Kickstart a business marketing plan today!

 

Follow StarHub Business on Linkedin for the latest business updates.


ihttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141222111553.htm

iihttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141222111553.htm

Getting a head start for the festive season

Plan your marketing campaign ahead of time to maximise sales.

Read more
happy young woman  watching smart phone in shopping mall
How to have your brand stand out amidst the festive season

Find out how to gain your customers’ attention and loyalty with these tips.

Read more
Group of Diversity People Team smiling and excited in success work with laptop at modern office. Creative Multiethnic or diverse teamwork feeling happy, enjoy and engaged with achievement project.
The secrets to keeping productivity high in the holiday season

Keep festive distractions from destroying your productivity.

Read more