If you’re thinking you still have some time to start your holiday planning, think again! The time to start readying your small retail business for the holiday rush is now—or maybe even two weeks ago—because surveys show that 51% of consumers will begin their holiday shopping before November. But don’t panic, you still have time to make this season your best one yet, because we’ve got you covered.
Retail businesses like yours need to do some advanced planning because you’re going to see the biggest influx in holiday shopping. From décor to gifts, you’ve got the goods that holiday shoppers are looking for.
So, we’ve put together our best tips and tricks to help retailers prepare for the holiday business rush.
First things first, let’s talk about the earliest date you need to be ready. When does the retail holiday season start? The majority of holiday shopping begins in November and lasts through the new year. However, we’re seeing some shoppers begin as early as October and even the end of September. Understanding our urgency a little better now?
Black Friday and Cyber Monday have historically been the biggest shopping days of the year, but as a small business, you should be ready for a surge on Small Business Saturday as well. Then, you can also expect a rise in purchases the week before Christmas too.
The Cyber Five, which includes Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Sunday and Cyber Monday, made up 16.2% of total US holiday retail. Here are where all those days fall this year (plus a few more notable dates) so you can keep them in mind for your holiday planning:
Now that you have some dates on the calendar and you know exactly how much time you have to prep, let’s get into some tips on how to best do it. Check out these ideas:
With the rough state of the economy lately, consumers are going to be more deal-savvy than ever. This means that to remain competitive, retailers will need to be running plenty of sales and promotions to catch the eye of their audience. Use your social and mobile channels to communicate your deals. Make sure you also keep an eye on your competitors to remain relevant in the market.
Mobile will contribute 27.9% of growth to this year’s holiday season e-commerce sales, and mobile usage is ever-rising in general. Capture people who are ready to spend money while scrolling on their devices with a good mobile website experience.
Say you’re scrolling along on your phone, shopping to kill time and you see some items you want to remember to buy later, what do you do? Maybe screenshot them to get lost in a sea of photos on your phone, or go ahead and add them to your cart only for them to be lost when you close out of the tab? This is why a wish list option is a great addition to your website. It’s an interactive way to keep people engaged on your website and keep them coming back when you run deals and sales. Additionally, it’s an easy way to get them to sign up for an account and get their email to add to your marketing list.
For consumers who want convenience and safer shopping options during the holiday season, buying online and picking up either in-store or curbside will be popular options. Keep up with competitors by offering these options when you’re moving to a mobile-first site experience.
Just like you might spruce up your physical storefront with holiday flair, you can deck out your online store too! Try something as simple as a new holiday background, changing your fonts to festive colors or adding some holiday icons. Or you can go big and create a whole new holiday brand guide.
Not only should you be thinking about the visuals but be thinking about usability as well. You’re more than likely going to see a lot of increased traffic during the holidays because 75% of holiday shoppers say they plan to do most of their holiday shopping online. So, make sure to test whether your site can handle it before the busy season.
Social media has become a huge asset for small businesses. Not only is it a place where your brand or shop can be discovered, it’s a perfect place to promote yourself. Make sure you’re showing up in the algorithm by amping up your posting game with plenty of holiday content, sale announcements, new product launches and even giveaways.
This might seem like a no-brainer, but more shoppers mean you’ll need more products for them to buy! Increase your stock during the holiday season with both seasonal items and popular products. Consumers will be buying holiday-themed items for themselves and their homes along with non-festive items to give as gifts.
If you’re planning to offer shipping or buy online, pick up in-store options during holiday season, this is your reminder that you’ll also need to stock up on shipping supplies! Boxes, mailers, bubble wrap or even gift bags are all good items to add to your order list before you get busy.
Good customer service goes a long way in getting repeat customers, and when the days get busy during the holidays, you might want some extra hands to help—especially if you’re planning to offer those shipping and pick-up options that we mentioned previously. Hiring some extra seasonal associates will keep you and your customers happy.
It might seem early, but holiday planning can take a lot of effort and customers are shopping earlier every year, so the time to start is now! Whether you just own a small boutique with a physical storefront, are strictly an online retailer or both, we hope this list of tips and tricks helps your holiday season go just a little bit smoother.
If you’re looking for additional help with your digital marketing through the holidays and beyond, RevLocal is here for you! Contact us anytime for a free, no-obligation consultation with a marketing expert.
Mideya Kinney, Junior Content Writer
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