Holiday Tips for Retailers - Pt. 1. By Mrs. Dorothy Barron
Retailers, are you utilizing your products and your people to their best advantage?
Many people will shop online, but many will continue to visit your stores during the holiday. How do your store’s physical appearance and your sales associates look?
Some holiday tips for Retailers to consider:
- Appearance and appeal are important
- Your store should be clean, festive and filled with goods
- Music can put shoppers in a holiday or more relaxing mood – whether the music is upbeat, traditional Christmas favorites or a combination of both, the music should serve as background accompaniment (complement the shopping experience) and not so loud that it competes with the voices of shoppers or jingle and jangle their nerves.
- Your employees should look neat, clean and have pleasant dispositions and attitudes – a smile is always a winner
- Make sure your customer service reps know how to assist customers
- Designate and give during this period of time certain employees – certain decision making powers as it relates to Customer Service
Holiday Fashion Merchandise:
Many at some point during the Holiday Season will dress for a special event, gathering or occasion. If you sell clothing for the holidays, customers will be stopping by to view your offerings.
A nice pair of slacks and a sweater worn over a nice color shirt and a man is a winner in almost any fashion circle; however, and for most women; we know it takes much, much more to look our best.
Retailers, if you have a physical store and sell holiday clothing:
- You will need fashion conscience sales associates – they can be instrumental in whether the customer makes a purchase or walks out empty-handed. They should be available to offer assistance. Sometimes, a sincere complementary statement or thumbs-up from the sales associate is all a customer needs to purchase that certain fashion merchandise.
- Set your holiday apparel in a special place (feature and showcase it) – customers should not have to search for it.
- Don’t have a lot of clothing merchandise- showcase that which you do have with accessories. The customer may or may not purchase the clothing, but may elect to purchase the accessory.
- Showcase some of your store’s accessories; sometimes customers forget to purchase and/or may not be aware of your selections. Therefore, you want to remind customers not to forget their accessories.
Retailers in the Food Business- many of the tips above are applicable to you as well.
- You also want to showcase – beautiful food dishes and products
- Create a Daily Theme leading up to the holiday – present appetizers to the shoppers as well as recipe cards featuring the appetizer or some ingredient(s) within
- Stock and have on hand enough products
Retailers, when the holiday is over and you have met and/or exceeded your sales goal (s), do not forget to thank your employees in a tangible way; they greatly assisted in making it happen.
Finally, have you and are you critiquing your store; customers- their needs, and listening?
Happy Holidays!
From me, to you
Mrs. Dorothy Barron, Author
Note: During Mrs. D. Barron employment in the Retail Clothing Industry – she was instrumental in assisting customers and making money for the company; a special customer management position for Mrs. D. Barron was created by the company.
“Slinging Stones… Blog” by Mrs. Dorothy Barron:
http://www.dorothybarron.com or
http://mrsdbarron.typepad.com/slingingstones
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