{"id":11955,"date":"2013-09-20T07:51:11","date_gmt":"2013-09-20T12:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nashvillewraps.com\/blog\/?p=11955"},"modified":"2024-12-05T11:25:51","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T17:25:51","slug":"pre-holiday-retail-checklist-for-a-successful-4th-quarter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nashvillewraps.com\/blog\/2013\/09\/20\/pre-holiday-retail-checklist-for-a-successful-4th-quarter","title":{"rendered":"Get Ready: Pre-Holiday Retail Checklist for a Successful 4th Quarter!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Retailer-Ready-for-Christmas\"Many thanks to Retail Minded Magazine and Kizer & Bender<\/a> from the Retail Adventures blog for contributing this post.<\/em><\/p>\n

Are you ready to get ready for Holiday 2013? Time\u2019s a wastin\u2019! That old saying, \u201cRetail is in the details\u201d is never truer than it is during the holidays. Those details\u2026 including dotting the I\u2019s and crossing the T\u2019s\u2026 may not seem so important when the thermometer reads 75, but they make all the difference in the world when you have a store-full of impatient shoppers on December 15th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

\"Christmas-Checklist\"6 things that must be on your Holiday 2013 Things to Do List!<\/strong><\/h2>\n

1. Plan your holiday in-store events.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This is not an option. You need to host at least one major event like a Christmas Open House<\/a> and one or two minor events every week in November and December. You need to do something to thrill shoppers on Black Friday, as well as Small Business Saturday<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. Hire seasonal staff.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You can teach people how to work with customers, but you can\u2019t teach nice, so choose your temp staff with care. This is the time of year when testy shoppers get well, even testier. Commit to a training schedule, and partner each new hire with a seasoned associate who can mentor them throughout their holiday employment.<\/p>\n

3. Cover these basics:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

* Repair, repaint, and replace<\/strong> everything on your To-Do list now. You want everything crossed off the list by mid-October. You don\u2019t need the hassle of replacing the valve in the ladies room toilet a week before Christmas.<\/p>\n

* Take a physical inventory<\/strong> of your \u201cnever out\u201d store supplies, the things that would be an absolute disaster if you ran out of them on a busy Saturday. Shopping bags<\/a> and gift certificates top the list, but even toilet paper is important.<\/p>\n

* Create your “Top 10 Lists of Not-to-be-Missed Holiday Gifts”<\/strong> that are available from your store. Every staffer needs to know what\u2019s on it so they can make smart gift recommendations. Have plenty of copies on hand and place them throughout the store. Feature your lists on your website, social media, in your newsletter, and on bag stuffers.<\/p>\n

* Be prepared on December 26<\/strong> with a plan to clear leftover holiday products. Decide what needs to be marked down, how much it will be discounted (hint: the first markdown should be the deepest), and how it will be displayed on the sales floor.<\/p>\n

* Determine how you will handle customer returns<\/strong>. Make sure that your customer-friendly return\/exchange policy is clearly posted in the store, behind the cash wrap, and on your website. You may also want to include it in the not-so-fine print on your holiday bag-stuffers. Decide now where and how returns will be processed: at the cash wrap or on a separate table.<\/p>\n

* Skip the auto-response, \u201cWould you like your money back?\u201d<\/strong> Instead, ask each customer if she\u2019d like to look around for something else or receive a gift card; you\u2019ll save more sales that way. But if she insists on a refund, then give her one with a smile. You want her to come back and shop with you again.<\/p>\n

4. Choose a holiday theme.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

What\u2019ll it be this year? Home for the Holidays? Victorian Christmas? It\u2019s A Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, or The Nutcracker? Whatever store d\u00e9cor theme you choose, go for it! These over-the-top displays have a job to do: put customers in a happy mood to spend. So, set your windows to sell, play holiday music, and holiday-ize your dress code. Serve Christmas cookies and cocoa on weekends. Set a schedule of what needs to happen and when, then stick to it.<\/p>\n

5. Set up your sales floor to encourage holiday sales.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Make a list of these key areas and check them daily:<\/p>\n