How early should seasonal displays for Easter, Valentines Day, Mothers Day, Fathers Day etc go out? It’s a question newsagents ask often as we bounce from season to season in the first half of the year, especially in the greeting card space.
My view is that the season ought to go out as early as possible, especially if it can be done without taking away from your everyday range. Who knows what needs customers have for buying a card an d getting it in the mail in advance of the season? Further, seasonal displays freshen the retail offering.
Ben Kay, manager of my store at newsXpress Forest Hill disagrees. He reckons retailers go out too early with seasons – Christmas displays in September/October etc. Ben would rather some ‘clean air’ between seasons.
As a consumer I’d like ‘free air’ between the retail seasons. Who doesn’t like normalcy? As a retailer I need to maximise every opportunity – hence the decision to go early with seasons. When Valentines Day came down, Easter went up and it’s selling already which in itself vindicates the decision. We’ve started Easter with this small display and it will grow every few days as we get closer.
Id have to agree with you on this one Mark. Its a discussion we have with our senior staff eahc ear around christmas and easter.
We dont go all out to start with. We usually have all the easter merchanside some out over a one or two week period (we started this week when out easter eggs turned up). In the week leading up to easter we will most likely inject one last dose of easter fever. Catching sales opportunities is important, as is educating customers in creating the perception of your store as an easter destination.
I take the view that becase some staff see the store every single day, that the season may feel overdone. Their perception of it is somewhat jaded. But then again im not one for normality (im a ‘change’ junkie).
Its also worth noting that the big players in the easter market have their products out early … would they really take up vast amounts of retail space if it wasnt warrented.
Seasons are big opportunities and newsagents need to take advantage of them in a big way.