With holiday decorations flooding into stores at the beginning of fall (if not earlier!), businesses large and small are starting to think about the holidays much earlier than the actual holidays on their calendars. I know what you’re thinking. There’s a good reason for that. People want to feel prepared.
By the end of September 2016, 14% of Americans had already started their holiday shopping, and 1 million people had already completed their shopping list. Holiday retail sales in 2016 also increased 4% year over year, reaching $658.3 billion in November and December, the peak of the holiday season.
Is your business ready to handle the influx of traffic? Do you have a strategy to attract new visitors to your store while engaging with your loyal customers? Do you know how to grow your business during the holidays? Here are 5 ways to drive growth during the busy holiday season. Introducing small business marketing strategies. Expand your product line
What products are on sale, especially during the holiday season? If you don’t want to introduce new items, consider reusing your most popular items in gift-perfect packaging. Or consider adding homemade elements to your available products. Brainstorm with your team about how to leverage your product and make it more relevant to holiday shoppers.
In-store Christmas shopping can bring more excitement than just the festive spirit. Create a small stress-free zone in your store with coloring books, crayons, stress balls, and fidget spinners. Set up a table with snacks and invite your guests to sit down and relax for a few minutes, or grab some stress-reducing items to take home. This will encourage people to stay longer in your store and earn you even more money by putting your store on the must-see list.
Brick-and-mortar stores should make the most of the increased customer traffic thanks to holiday sales, but don’t forget to promote on social media channels and email as well. Create a small business marketing strategy to keep customers engaged during the holiday season (and beyond). Ideas might include a countdown to savings, with new offers published daily on your Facebook or Instagram page. Make sure communication is coordinated both online and offline to avoid confusion. So if your email campaign offers 25% off an item, make sure it’s only for online shoppers or if it applies in-store as well.