Here are the marketing tips we have provided to newsagents for this Christmas season. We publish Christmas tips annually to newsagents using Tower Systems software – as part of a broader marketing tips program. I publish them here for anyone to use, modify or abuse in any way they choose.
CHRISTMAS ART
Give your windows over to the kids for Christmas – have an art contest. Give the winner a certificate – it’s about recognition more than money. The art entries, on the Christmas theme, hanging in your window will provide a community connect and add warmth.
DONATION BOX FOR A LOCAL CHARITY
Talk to a local charity and offer to put a collection box at your door for customers to make a product donation which fits the needs of a local charity. Include photos of work the charity does. Invite the charity to let its contacts know what you are doing.
EMBRACE THE SEASON FROM YOUR DOOR
Change your floor stock as much as you can. From just inside your door have your first offer, then another followed by another – each with a Christmas theme and a compelling deal. Design your store layout for Christmas success, let it do your selling for you.
CREATE A TOP TEN
People love lists. Book and music retailers (online and retail) use them to great effect. Create a top 10 for your shop. You could even start with a Top 3 for under $10 or a Top 3 for under 15 year olds etc. Create the list or lists and update them each week. Put the list in a prominent place and locate the top performing stock nearby.
SHOW PEOPLE WHAT TO BUY
Create space to display Gifts for Mum, Gifts for Dad, Kris Kringle Gifts. If space is short create one display for a week and replace it with another the next week and so on. Plan in advance what you’ll recommend and create a flyer to give to customers with your recommendations/promotions. If you can’t create a full on display you could use bookmarks or some other tag to indicate that an item is a recommended gift for MUM or for DAD.
EMBRACE HAPPINESS
Have a staff meeting. Talk about Christmas and how important it is to customers and the business. Get employees to ‘buy in’ on the season and how it’s a time to be happy. Be generous – hand out gifts to your team. Be happy yourself and commit to a happier workplace. It’s infectious. Customers enjoy a happier business. Through the busy period bring in treats and find other ways to maintain the happiness.
REST
Schedule enough time for rest. Recharge and make your days more successful.
COUNTDOWN
Create a H U G E handmade countdown calendar – behind the counter. 20 sleeps to go, 19 etc. Put this on badges if possible. This could be a point of some fun.
SERVICE, SERVICE, SERVICE
Christmas is stressful for shoppers. Be sure to have extra staff on hand to help reduce the stress and help your customers buy their gifts in your shop.