Back to School is behind us, and the Holiday Season is just around the corner, so now is the time to make sure you have everything in order for that traditional increase in sales during Halloween and Christmas.
The short shopping season of 2013 meant that many etailers had difficulty fulfilling orders in time, and some unlucky shoppers received their gifts long after the holidays were over.
The 2014 holiday season will again be short, with just 26 days between Black Friday and Christmas, only one day more than 2013, and predictions indicate that online sales will increase, with consumers spending more time shopping on mobile phones and tablets, and less on retail sites.
Thanksgiving falls during the last week of November again this year, and Cyber Monday will be in December. So if you’re feeling behind schedule with your store planning, what can you do now to make sure you don’t miss those all important holiday sales?
- Most importantly, don’t panic! There is still time to do some last minute planning.
- Make sure you have all your holiday orders placed with your suppliers, if you don’t already have products lined up in your warehouse.
- Ensure you have all your packaging materials and boxes ready to go.
- Plan out your holiday promotions and add these to your website in October. Be ready for early gift shoppers by suggesting gifts by product type or gender, and create gift baskets or sets under a specific dollar amount.
- Make sure you have plenty of accessories, and gift-type products ready for your site by October.
- If time permits, make some seasonal color changes to your website and theme, however, products and promotions are still your main focus.
- Decide how you will cope with the extra workload – do you need to hire temporary staff for the season? Think about the extra strain on your resources such as customer service, product fulfillment, and gift wrapping.
- Plan your email marketing campaign, and social media strategy.
- Plan your delivery cut-off dates and make sure these work with your shipping carrier.
- Think back to what worked best for you last year, and repeat that process.
The Holiday Season is the most exciting time for shoppers and retailers alike, and even with last minute planning, you can still create a great experience for your shoppers, and a profitable holiday season for yourself.