Harris KhanThey say it’s the most wonderful time of the year, and with the festive season slowly appearing on the horizon, it makes sense for businesses of all shapes and sizes to start planning ahead. With so much disruption caused by the Covid-19 crisis, small high street businesses have spent the last 18 months trying to make up for lost time and lost profits.
The approach of the festive season is the perfect opportunity for independent enterprises to push their brand forward, highlight their products and increase footfall and revenue in their stores. In this post, we’ll examine how small businesses can get their stores ready for the Christmas rush with 4 small tips. Read on to find out more.
Update your POS Systems
When you have heavy footfall in your store, the last thing you want is disgruntled customers having to queue to make a purchase. Sure, it makes your store look busy and popular, however, you could be losing sales due to slow-moving lines and issues with payment processes. Remember, when people are Christmas shopping, they’re usually in a hurry – so ensure your payment processes reflect this urgency! Updating your point of sale system is a good place to start. By investing in the latest technology, you can use advanced payment systems to simplify payments, take a variety of payment options and obtain detailed reporting and analytics, so you can see which of your products are performing and selling well. Enhancing the efficiency of your store will help you get more sales, and increase your number of returning customers.
Keep Your Customers Up to Date
As a small business, you should have a social media presence. And it’s here that you can update your customers about what you have planned in the store over the festive period and begin building excitement about the Christmas shopping season. Sneak peeks of your Christmas stock, decorating your store, inviting people to special Christmas shopping events in your store, discounts and more. Building excitement in the lead up to Christmas can help you bring in more sales and interest around your business, so develop a marketing strategy to get people through your doors.
Keep Customers Safe
Of course, Covid-19 is still prevalent, and as the festive season approaches, cold and flu season also takes hold. Therefore consider highlighting to your customers that you’re committed to their safety, offer hand sanitiser in your store and encourage social distancing by placing stands and displays as far apart as possible. Keep your staff wearing face coverings too.
Don’t Panic
While Christmas should be your busiest time, it’s also important that you avoid a complete burnout. The stress of the festive season is felt by all small business owners who are under pressure to meet the demands of customers and keep the till ringing. Remember to bring in as much help as possible and take regular breaks so you too can enjoy the Christmas period.
Final Thoughts…
Getting your store ready for the festive season is easier when you plan ahead. Consider the points above to get started.
