Christmas season is coming soon, and retailers everywhere need to gear up to prepare for the influx of customers coming. This includes you, as a small retailer, since Christmas customers will be heading your way re their Photo Gifting needs when they’re looking for unique gifts for their loved ones.
Christmas customers tend to prefer large retailers because they want a smooth Christmas shopping experience, which they assume small retailers tend to lack. With this in mind, there are certain things you need to prepare to ensure that you’re providing the best customer experience for your Christmas Photo shoppers.
Stock-up on Christmas-friendly products
Use last year’s Christmas sales data to determine what products you need to stock up more. Customers who come for Christmas shopping will prefer to have a section in the store that they browse, so decorate this spot with Christmas ornaments. Most importantly, prepare gift wrapping kits so you can offer a gift-wrap option to your Christmas shoppers. You should also have gift card products ready in-store.
Prepare your store for Christmas shoppers
You can decorate your whole store with Christmas-themed things. You can also play some holiday music during the Christmas season. Be sure to hire additional employees for certain days, like the week lead up to Xmas Day, when there will be more customers. Always have some small change ready before you open the store during Christmas season. Little things like this, helps create a better Christmas shopping experience for your customers.
Market your Christmas season promotions
Although new Christmas shoppers will come, you should also make your store the first choice for Christmas shopping to your existing customers. Do this by sending a Christmas email newsletter containing discounted offers. Also, update your social media with discount codes posts and Christmas product offerings. For in-store promotions, provide a Christmas card for your loyal customers with an enclosed discount voucher for their next visit.
Make a special Christmas-only event or products for your store
Aside from promotions, you can also make a special collaboration or limited edition products for the Christmas season. It is also possible to hold a Christmas event, such as a charity drive, in your store. Doing this will help attract customers who are looking for specialised gifts and increase your brand awareness. Use social media to advertise and don’t forget to stock the products accordingly.
Optimise your product delivery for Christmas
Christmas delivery can be a nightmare, so it’s crucial for you to plan ahead. Be sure to update customers on your Christmas delivery date range. You can also circumvent this situation by offering a click and collect service if you also operate an online store. To entice customers to visit in-store, you can also extend your opening hours. Return and exchange policies should also be clearly informed to customers prior to their purchase.
Offer a post-Christmas shopping discount
The best way to engage a new batch of customers after the Christmas shopping season will be to offer a post-Christmas discount. You can send them an email newsletter and post updates on your social media, but you can also do this in-store by putting posters on your storefront. Doing this also helps you move out your remaining Christmas products stock.
Photo Direct are here to assist you with any needs or enquiries, please call 03 9894 1644.
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