Festive shoppers provide many retailers with a much-needed financial boost. During this busy period, companies can see sales soar. However, if you want to make sure your business capitalises on the Christmas shopping frenzy, some savvy planning is required. These top tips should help you to achieve your goal.
Improve your in-store experience with free WiFi
One key area to consider is WiFi. Only a few years ago, the notion of providing mobile web access to shoppers was alien to many retailers. However, shrewd companies are increasingly switching onto the benefits of offering their customers free internet. After all, many people now consider their smartphones and tablets to be essential shopping companions. According to a recent report entitled ‘The Wireless Nation’, a quarter of consumers would leave shops if wireless connectivity wasn’t available. Luckily, it’s now straightforward to provide your customers with free WiFi. Public WiFi specialists such as Airangel offer competitively priced solutions.
As well as improving your customers’ in-store experiences, these WiFi solutions can help you to gain valuable insights into consumers’ shopping habits and preferences. By choosing the right package, you can access detailed user data and analytics. In turn, this can help you to tailor your offerings to your target market more effectively.
Get your website ready for the festive season
Given the rising importance of ecommerce, it’s imperative that your website is up-to-scratch too. An increasing number of people are opting to do their shopping online and you may miss out if your site doesn’t meet shoppers’ high expectations.
Think about creating festive landing pages and generating seasonal blog posts. Also, if you’re expecting many more people to visit your website in the run-up to Christmas, get in touch with your hosting company to ensure that your site will be able to handle the rise in activity. The last thing you want is for your website to crash during the busiest time of year.
Stock up
Now’s the time to start building up your stock levels too. If all goes to plan over the festive period, your sales will rise and so you must ensure you have enough stock to meet this spike in demand. Think carefully about what is likely to sell well over Christmas. Consider previous years and also pay attention to market trends. There will always be some guesswork involved in deciding how much stock to buy in, but by being measured and tactical in your approach, you can reduce the likelihood of major errors.
Get creative with your promotions
Promotions will prove crucial too. You’ll need to prepare in advance for the post-Christmas sales and you might want to begin your promotions early. By offering special deals in the run-up to December 25th, you may be able to steal a march on your competitors. For example, you could give out coupons for the January sales with each purchase or offer buy-one-get-one-free deals on certain items.
If you do run promotions like these, be sure to advertise them online and in your store.
Spend some time on your shop display
It’s also worth spending some time creating the perfect shop displays. This can entice more consumers through your doors and increase the amount of time people spend in your store. If you’re not the artistic type, pay a specialist to come in and arrange your decorations for you.
As well as crafting appealing displays, think about the positioning of your stock. Make sure your bestsellers are situated in prominent places. Meanwhile, place cheaper items that consumers may buy on impulse near to your paypoint.
By following tips like these in the run-up to Christmas, you stand to make the most of this busy shopping season.
