It’s back-to-school season and you have to sell all that seasonal merchandise before it’s out of season. If you feel like most of your regular clients have already stopped in for the latest trends and business has been slowing down as the school year draws even nearer, you may want to switch up the marketing tactics and entice new customers.
Parents are conducting the back-to-school shopping train, since they are typically the people paying for the goods. As a result, you can bring in more business by marketing more directly to moms and other dominant guardians. Maybe they didn’t think to stop in and have a look around when your window display fixtures heavily featured child mannequins, but with a new aesthetic, their heads will be turning.
There are a few general guidelines to consider when you’re using displays to attract attention from moms.
Keep it simple
Moms are busy people. Between play dates, their own social lives and careers, they have enough moving parts to deal with. To appeal to moms, Entrepreneur said retailers should stick to simple displays and arrangements. You might be tempted to dress the display fixtures up to draw attention, but if the aesthetic is too hectic, these busy ladies might not stop and take a look. Make sure the merchandise you care about highlighting the most is what makes its way into your window displays. If you have several ideas for great mom-worthy outfits, save some to place around the store itself.
Beyond overwhelming displays, it may be best to steer clear of mom stereotypes, Media Post recommended. While there are obviously categories that certain moms fit into, you might alienate some of your customer base by indulging in them. It appears easy to stick with easy, commonly used concepts such as stay-at-home moms or minivan-driving soccer moms, but not everyone wants to be thought of in those lights. What it comes down to is that moms are women first.
Keep it classy
When you’re preparing store fixtures to display clothing or accessories aimed at moms, it’s important to dress mannequins appropriately. Most mothers won’t be attracted to a scantily clad, albeit plastic, lady perhaps leading them to bypass your store. Dressing to reflect true age might matter to some women who prefer wearing more modest outfits. If the first representation of your merchandise looks like something they would never wear, what would convince them to wander in and shop?
Keep it local
Because these women are invested in the education aspects of their community, especially during back-to-school season, consider running a fundraiser to benefit the town school system or an educational nonprofit. As suggested by Marketing Zone, you can donate a certain percentage of each sale to either place to motivate moms to shop in your store. This is the type of promotion that could get moms talking amongst themselves, bringing even more business. They will feel good about giving back to the community through their purchases, and it will give the company positive publicity as a civically engaged local business. You may even want to collaborate with a group and use each other’s email lists to cross-promote.
You can also create a “mom’s night out” with special deals for moms, according to Marketing Zone. To bring a crowd in, provide wine and appetizers or some type of dessert. This is a chance for moms to relax a little for the ideal shopping mindset. They can fraternize with other parents that they have gotten to know over the years and enjoy discounts on your quality merchandise.
