Turning Up the Holiday Music; and other tips to get cash registers ringing for the holidays

Tis the season for your sales to sing! If you are in retail, these tips will help you attract more customers and even put a smile on their face!

 Help consumers navigate the chaos

  • Use overhead and in-store messaging to provide gentle reminders of those things we often forget
    • (i.e. a grocery store might have gentle reminders of those things we so often have to return for or (heaven forbid) send the husband to pick up – “Making Pumpkin Pie this Thanksgiving?  Did you remember the evaporated milk?”)

Be social!

  • Make sure you don’t forget about your Facebook and Twitter followers. Send them special offers to drive sales in store and online.
  • Offer a deal of the week or day via social media/web – a coupon via social media that requires that they redeem it in-store for a discount or gift with purchase for coming in.

Go mobile

  • Distribute free mobile coupons that drive people into the store.  Sync up with a geolocation app and give out freebies to nearby potential customers.
  • Develop mobile offers where items can be purchased immediately after enrollment-discount after initial enrollment to entice customers to register their credit cards for mobile shopping.

Add humor – take away the stress of holiday shopping

  • With in-store video, program content that makes customers laugh. People who feel good feel more motivated to buy gifts.
  • For example, we work with Lego and develop in-store video content that reaches kids at their level (shorter than their parents). Show a commercial of a child excitedly opening a gift to find…socks.  Show their grin turn into a grimace.  Show the new Lego Death Star.  Of course, the Death Star is $399 and the socks are $3.99, but isn’t their happiness worth it?

Create in-store entertainment, events or happenings

  • Warm the iciest of customer’s hearts and let them linger longer with an in-store piano player, a youth choir or even a fun flash mob. Take photos, encourage revelers to share images, video and commentary on social networks and invite local media to check out why shopping at your store offers the highest caliber of holiday cheer.

Runner up:

Free items

  • Everyone loves free stuff. Offer gifts with purchase such as a music download or a branded compilation CD. People can take home some great music produced exclusively for your store (and take the brand home with them, building long-lasting affinity).