How to Prepare Your Store for Christmas
Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for retailers and no matter what you sell in your store, you can almost guarantee you will be getting increased foot traffic than you are typically used to. The festive season can be daunting for anyone working in retail and not preparing for the lead up to Christmas in advance can leave you in all sorts of trouble.The last couple of weeks before the big day will likely be the busiest of the entire year, so ensure that you put a plan in place with plenty of time to spare in order to guarantee that you’re prepared for the pre-Christmas rush. Here at VKF Renzel, we have put together a list of easy ways you can help prepare your store for Christmas; with our help, you’ll be equipped to tackle everything that’s thrown at you this December.
Set and Advertise Your Holiday Store Hours
Not only do your staff need to be fully aware of when you will open over the festive season, but your customers need to know too. It’s best to make your customers aware of your store hours as soon as possible so they won’t be left disappointed if you’re not open when they expect you to be.
It is worth advertising these hours clearly in the windows or doors to your store, so that people can quickly glance at them as they are walking past or inside. You might also want to put details by some your point of sale display stands near the till as well, to reiterate the information to anyone that might be purchasing something. Also make sure that this information is readily available online if you have a presence in the digital space.
Ensure You Have Enough Staff Working
This may seem obvious, but with that said, it is frequently overlooked by many businesses. Your staff are the people that keep your store functioning on a daily basis and without them, the festive period would quite simply be a disaster. Make sure that you have enough people manning the store at all times to assist with any customers that need help and to serve people as soon and efficiently as possible.
People can get incredibly impatient at this time of year, particularly if they have huge lists of gifts to buy, more often than not at the last minute too. Keeping them waiting can potentially put them off your store and prevent them from purchasing, so having all hands on deck is essential.
Keep Display Stands Full and Spare Stock Easily Accessible
There is nothing worse than customers browsing a half-empty store. Not only does it look unprofessional, but it can also prevent you from making sales. Ensure your employees know to restock all of your display stands, including your POS display products, whenever they’re beginning to empty.
Your employees are going to be incredibly busy so make it easy for them to be able to top up your displays. Whether you stock spare items underneath your display stands or you have an easily accessible stock room, make sure that everyone is aware of where your products are.
Get People Talking About Discounts and Offers
Of course, the majority of stores will have some form of discount on their items or special offers throughout the store at this time of year, but you want people to be talking about them. Everyone is looking for a great deal and if you can provide it to them, your customers will be sure to tell their friends.
As well as clearly displaying your discounts and offers in-store, you might want to consider giving out leaflets with your special vouchers to customers that have purchased, or even having a leaflet display stand by the door for people to help themselves too. Make your store a talking point for all the right reasons.
Embrace the Festivities
Throughout all the madness that this season brings to retail, try to embrace the festivities too. Make your shop as enticing as possible to passersby and create a Christmas wonderland that they will want to enter. Have fun with this and get creative.
From posters and banners to actual window paintings, creating your Christmas window display is one of the most important things to focus on when you’re prepping your store. Make sure that you continue this in store too though; decorate your display stands and brighten up your till areas. Make your shop a fun festive place for everyone who visits.
Preparing Your Store for Christmas
Ultimately, this is an amazing time of year for retail for a plethora of different reasons and if you’re prepared you can sail through this holiday season. Take into account everything mentioned above and you’ll notice the difference on the lead up to Christmas this year. Get all of your employees on board and work together as a team, and of course ensure that you have fun too, after all, it is Christmas!
