Christmas Retail Marketing Tips for 2009

I have published new Christmas Retail Marketing Tips 2009 in keeping with a tradition of many years.  These ideas are put forward to get newsagents thinking of different ways to engage with Christmas and drive sales.

1. CHANGE, CHANGE AND CHANGE
   Each week, move product around, keep the shop looking fresh and people will buy more. While moving stock is hard work, the pay off is that shoppers will find “new” things.
2. CHRISTMAS ART
   Invite school, kindergartens and play groups to provide art with which to decorate your shop. Offer a modest prize for the winner. Invite public voting if you like. Be proud in showing off local art. This will bring families in to show off and show you as community connected.
3. CONNECT WITH A LOCAL CHARITY
   Offer a local charity coupons (in a catalogue) to distribute which provide a discount off certain product categories on presentation. In return, give them a commission from each sale. For example, the coupon could offer 10% off any gift and you could give the charity 5% commission on every sale. A good charity will promote the coupons for you.
4. KRIS KRINGLE SHOPPING
   With Kris Kringle giving growing in popularity, display your gifts based on price point. Signpost them as Kris Kringle gifts. Show people what to buy.
5. GIVE GIFTS
   One day each week give gifts with every purchase. It could be a chocolate, a fridge magnet or a calendar. Whatever you give, make sure it is something people will like and is easily given away from the counter. Get known as the shop which gives more.
6. SAMPLE
   If you sell chocolate, offer samples. There are ways to do this with the food health regulations. Candy companies will tell you that offering samples drives sales.
7. SMELL
   Choose a smell for Christmas and use a vaporiser to let this waft into the shop. Darrell Lea stores do with well with a liquorice smell. I have seen store do it well with a pine tree smell at Christmas. Tap into a sense which is not often used in retail.
8. MANAGE LINES
   With more customers in the shop this time of the year, managing lines is important. Have your best people at the counter and driving traffic so that wait time is kept to a minimum.
9. TAP INTO SPECIALIST GIFT GIVING
   There are many gifts you can sell by showing that they relate to a highly specialist gift giving occasion: teacher, neighbour, priest, local service provider, gardener. Promoting a gift for one or more trains your customers about giving such a gift and getting it from you.
10. ADD TO THE PURCHASE AT THE COUNTER
    Have two impulse items at the counter to be pitched in every sale. Gift tags, Christmas candy or a trinket for car, work or home. Research suggests that 18% of sales can include a counter based impulse purchase. Get the product right and tap into the opportunity.
11. ADD VALUE EVERYWHERE
    Seize every opportunity. Have tape with gift wrap, gift bags near gift items, pre-wrapped gift items, an up-sell opportunity printed on receipts, a promotional flyer in every bag and logical layout to the store – zones for product categories with good adjacencies.

This is a season for doing more than the average.  It is an excellent opportunity to connect with new customers and win them for the long term because of your range, service and overall value proposition.