Ways Off-line and On-line Retailers Can Fuel Holiday Sales in 2024
As we approach Black Friday, it’s time to check in with our retail friends and make sure they’re on track and inspired to make the most out of the 2024 holiday gifting season.
1. Maximize any opportunity to focus on sales and delighting customers.
Schedule and automate social media posts, emails, or website promotions in advance.
Check your inventory and ensure you’re stocked up on the items you’ll be promoting.
Revisit your return policy and how you can accommodate buyers who shop early and gift later.
Check your website and app are working flawlessly through the entire search, shop, and checkout process.
Have a plan for handling increased messages from consumers in a timely/immediate fashion. Some may be before purchase, some during, and some after, all are an opportunity to please and guarantee sales.
2. Be mindful of the stress and burdens on shoppers.
Don’t let business demands and personal drive convince you that the stressful impact is forgotten when the Holiday music starts. Channel that awareness into new ways to delight shoppers.
Feature valuable and creative products that are useful in our new, more at-home era.
Highlight sentimental gifts that soften the grief of not spending time together due to safety or travel restrictions.
Offer gift-wrapping or handwritten cards for gifts shipped directly to the recipient.
Offer curbside pickup or private in-store shopping appointments to reduce anxiety.
3. Leverage wishlist marketing to reduce returns while driving sales, pre and post-holiday season.
Guarantee gifting success by prompting shoppers to add items to wishlists in-store with a QR code scan or online with a button. Where there are multiple options, remind shoppers to include size or color in the description.
Make it easy for guests to share their wishlists with gift buyers using a shop-now-buy-later service like Wishfinity or a printout of items complete with size and color preferences.
Change up your CTA from Buy Now to Shop Now Buy Later with the +W button.
4. Change up your holiday marketing templates.
Messaging is critical to connecting your strategies with your marketing efforts. Revisit your planned marketing in light of the changes you’ve made, incorporating key messages like these:
“Shop early to avoid stress and shipping delays.”
(highlight your products and delivery)“Guarantee gifting perfection when you shop their wishlist.”
(highlight how you facilitate gift shopping)“Reduce unwanted gift stress by sharing your wishlist.”
(highlight how easy it is to add/share your products with wishlists)“Enjoy our gifting success guarantee.”
(highlight return and gifting policies)