With so much of the current market focusing on ecommerce, brick and mortar businesses have been overlooked. Much of the marketing techniques have started moving online but we believe that offline marketing ideas are equally as effective, especially during the holidays.
Many friends and family enjoy shopping in-person during the holidays so as to enjoy the festive decorations and bypass shipping times on gifts and decor. Bright, unique signage is sure to catch the eyes of potential customers and give businesses the upper hand against competitors this season. Here we’ve compiled a list of potential ways to boost your sales this holiday season:
Set Up Attractive Window Displays
Foot traffic increases during the holidays, especially in shopping squares, malls, and outlets. One of the best ways to catch the eyes of passersby is to invest in charming window displays. The key to creating an attractive display is to stick with a theme. Whether it be Christmas scenes or color themes, make full use of your display space by making the most of your windows. One option is to incorporate window clings as they are easily removable and reusable. It’s perfect for advertising seasonal sales with fully personalized, professionally printed graphics. Once the holiday season is over, simply remove them from the windows and store them for next year! Another option is to use window painting. Whether you choose to paint it yourself or hire a window painter, it is a limitless option that can have a charming, hand painted look. In terms of placing objects in the display, consider strategic product placement and having a focal point that draws the eye in so as to avoid cluttered displays. And remember, less is more!
Host Enticing Sales
Consumers planned to spend about $998 on gifts and other items during the 2020 holiday season (NRF). This is a spending budget that outshines any other time of the year, so grabbing their attention should be a strong priority. One of the best enticements for customers is discounts. Many competitors will be offering discounts and coupons, so consider which deals (buy one get one, percentage off, buy more save more, free gift, threshold discounts, etc.) will be the most competitive without sacrificing too much of your profit margins.
Bring the Sales to Your Customers
To help increase traffic to your store, bring your holiday deals directly to your customers! If you have mailing lists, send out special holiday mail that announces your sales. You could also place strategic advertisements outside of your store and around the shopping area to direct foot traffic to your door. The best signage for directing potential customers are banners, retractable banners, tension fabric stands, x-stands, and a-frame signs. Custom vinyl banners are perfect for extended outdoor use, so you can display them outside your store for the entire holiday season and draw customers into your store. Retractable banners and x-stands are best for one-sided graphics that will only be placed outdoors during store hours as they are not the most suitable for harsh weather conditions. Tension fabric stands are also good for short-term outdoor use but have the extra benefit of being two-sided. A-frame signs are an affordable signage option that can also be printed or drawn on both sides and are excellent for advertising sales right outside your store. By advertising your business’ sales outside of your store, the pool of potential customers grows significantly because you are grabbing the attention of shoppers who previously may not have thought to visit your store. So this holiday season, brainstorm ways to get as many eyes on your store’s promotions whether it be through signage or mail.
Strategically Place Impulse Buys
Impulse buys are purchases made without plans in advance. Some impulse buys for the holiday season include gift wrap, gift tags, stocking stuffers, and any other uncomplicated, small items that don’t interrupt the emotional impulse with overthinking. Displays of your impulse buys should be placed at all pay points where customers can pick up more products while waiting to pay. You could also group impulse buys with prominent sellers around the store, such as placing stationery items around a display of notebooks. Changing displays to fit the holiday season would successfully attract shoppers looking for quick and small Christmas gifts. You could also add signage above your impulse buy stations to catch the eyes of shoppers from all around the store.
Emphasize Gift Cards
Gift cards are always a good addition to have during the holiday season as many are bound to have at least one person who is difficult to shop for. Gift cards are excellent because you lose little to none of your profit margin. Customers who come in with them are more likely to buy full-price, new-release items since the money isn’t coming out of their pockets. You could place gift cards with the impulse buy displays around the store to create the ultimate stop for uncertain Christmas shoppers. To entice shoppers to choose your gift cards as their Christmas gifts, offer bundle deals or small discounts on gift card purchases. If you’re using gift cards in your store, make sure your customers are aware of this offer by adding graphics or signs advertising your gift cards and any relevant deals.
Keep the Sales Going
Before the holiday season is completely over, there is a period where many people are still on holiday between Christmas and the new year, lounging around and hanging out with friends and family. Make the most of this period by extending your sales or by offering a post-Christmas flash sale to sell out any products you’d like to remove and make space for the new season. Based on what you learn during Christmas sales, focus on your most successful campaigns during this period to wrap up the holiday sales. You can keep up the banners and signage from Christmas if you choose to extend your sales, or you can update your advertisements by attaching additional graphics or by switching them out entirely, based on your budget.
Conclusion
For businesses, the holiday season is one of the most stressful and competitive times of the year. Luckily, we have several marketing techniques that can turn the tables in your favor! Make sure that you make the most of the holiday’s shopping craze and get your company’s name out there. Happy holidays, and good luck!
Sources:
- AppInstitute
- Packhelp
- The Balance Small Business
- National Retail Federation
- Volusion
- Gift Shop Mag