With Christmas only just around the corner (and believe me, it’s known to creep up way too quickly!), it’s time to start thinking about getting organised early to avoid the stressful ‘Christmas rush’.
In order to make the most of the lead up to Christmas as a retail store owner, I believe it’s important to start introducing ‘hints’ of Christmas from early October. Below are a few tips to get your customer into that ‘Christmas spirit’ and to take some of their anxiety out of the whole process.
1 Bring in the festivity. There’s nothing better than a Christmas tree overflowing with a curated collection of ornaments, beautifully decorated wreathes and tables of themed gifts to evoke some Christmas cheer.
Whether you plan to sell decorations or not, it’s so important to offer your customer the amazingly heart-warming experience of Christmas. After all, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. At Few and Far, we love to merchandise en-masse, using a layered approach. Not only does this draw attention to the items that make up your displays, but it also gives your customer confidence in their purchase.
2 Take a seasonal approach. Consider placing emphasis on categories that aren’t necessarily ‘Christmas’ themed and focus on the activities that take place around the festive season.
Dining and entertaining is an important part of the Christmas and summer period, and the ‘Christmas table’ is often a big deal. Glassware, serving utensils, table linen and serveware are all popular items during this period and well into the depths of summer, so it’s worth investing in categories such as this.
3 Consider the finer details and finishing touches. Make the experience of shopping for gifts as simple and as easy as possible for your customer, who at times may feel flustered and confused. Ensure you have thought of every detail such as customised gift wrapping or beautifully designed gift certificates.
Show your customer you’ve thought of everything. They’ll be much more likely to return if they leave feeling good about their purchase and with nothing left to do (such as wrapping gifts at midnight and fighting with the sticky tape).
The key is to think ahead, make sure you are organised with enough stock ahead of time, and to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Be creative, yet curated with your approach and collections and concentrate on creating a captivating experience that will encourage your customers to return. And most importantly, don’t forget the power of word of mouth.
4 Create a ‘Gift Guide’. This can be sent out through your social media streams, as a blog or an EDM that links back to the products on your website. Gift guides are a fun way to add some personality to your brand by customising them to whatever is appropriate to your target customer.
When creating your gift guide, get really specific when you think about who would love the gifts on your list. Also think about the types of products in your gift guide. Are you sharing gift ideas under $50 or stocking filler ideas?
Get creative with your title. Your gift guide might feature ‘Staff Picks’ where each member of your staff might choose their favourite items from the store, ’Gifts for a green thumb’, ‘Gifts for the girl who has it all’… Keep your titles quirky and your product selection curated.
Keep in mind when creating your gift guides, that they look ‘visually appealing’ and all included products are part of a similar theme in order to create a cohesive and thoughtful offering. Don’t overcrowd them or the guide could become overwhelming. If you’re worried about putting it all together, do yourself a favour and save time by utilising one of the pre-designed templates from Canva―easy!
By Tara Solberg, founder and owner of retail store Few and Far
