The festive season is once again just around the corner, your plans and preparations should be well on their way, with employees geared up and prepped for the increase in store traffic, both instore and online, your systems tested and running with proficiency and your inventory well stocked. With this all done, follow the tips below to ensure that you are geared up to sell more.

Stock preparation

Ensure that both online, instore and actual physical stock correlate. Your retail solution should facilitate measures for stringent stock control, allowing you to reflect reductions whether a shopper purchases online or instore, avoiding the risk of not fulfilling an order.

Employee training

The festive season provides retailers with opportunities to leverage on sales by upselling, cross-selling as well as offering alternatives should a product be out of stock. Ensure that employees have brushed up on their product knowledge, are briefed well in advance on promotions and are prepared and trained for situations where they can offer shoppers an alternative whether it be by upselling or creating a ‘on the spot’ promotion through cross selling, to meet the needs of a shopper. These situations could significantly increase margins on every sale. To further assist employees, ensure you have a POS system that includes an upsell feature that will assist your employee in making informed recommendations instantly, at checkout.

Define your marketing campaign

Shoppers need to know what you have to offer and why they should shop with you.

Your POS solution should allow you to segment your customer base, allowing you to identify customer purchase history and trends. Use this information to create personalised email campaigns, to drive customers to purchase online or instore.

Below are some suggestions for an email campaign:

• Early-bird email: let your early bird shopper know of your upcoming promotions in advance, reward them with coupons for a discount or give them early access to upcoming deals and sales.
• Countdown email: setup a series of special offers that run for a period of up to 30 days
• Gift Guide email: take the hassle out of shopping by giving shoppers the option to select an offer. You could set up gift offers that appeal to price, gender, hobby, trend or age making the gifts selection more relevant or personal.
• Tailored emails: leverage off your customer data and offer personalised product recommendations and promotions.
• E-gift card email: remind shoppers that digital gift cards are quick to purchase and easy to give as gifts, ensuring that you give the gift they really want.
• Cross-selling email: offer shoppers a ‘one-time gift pack’ for maximum customer satisfaction
• Up-selling emails: inform shoppers of added benefits or features on selected products and offer them one-time rewards or loyalty rewards.
• Shipping reminder emails: inform shoppers about the last days to buy in order to receive their orders in time for the festive season.
• Online promotion emails: use special promotion codes for online driven sales promotions. Ensure to set your promotions code for a limited time only.

Remember to further drive your instore and online promotions on your social media pages. Social media can drive hype and demand as shoppers can easily share your promotions with other shoppers instantly.

Speed up your delivery process

Let the shopper decide their delivery terms, even if this means they have to pay more for improved or faster deliveries. Shoppers can opt for standard shipping, same day shipping, overnight shipping or free shipping for early shoppers. Remember to offer a hassle-free return and replacement policy. 

Create attractive displays

Take advantage of extra traffic whether it be instore or online during the festive season. Create eye-catching, foot-stopping window displays instore and eye popping offers online. Movement and sound can really draw a crowd instore, while flashing offers draw a shopper’s eye online.

Offer fast and friendly service

Shoppers don’t want to be bogged down with loads of offers and slow service. Listen to what your shopper wants and offer them the best value for their needs, in as little time as possible.