Retailers know that the holiday season is the most intense and busy time of the year. With each week leading up to the New Year, stores become more hectic as customers rush to find the perfect gifts, decorations, or food items for the new year. Here are some tips to help you prepare for the upcoming rush.
Hire extra help
Many retailers take on extra help during this time of year so that they know they’ll always have plenty of people on the floor to help customers. If you’re planning on doing this, then you should begin screening candidates as soon as possible. Look for individuals who have experience with the tasks that are most essential. You’ll want workers who know how to quickly reorganize a display case, ring up customers, wrap gifts in wholesale shopping bags and help shoppers find gifts quickly and efficiently.
Form an assembly line
If you do have several employees in your store at a time, you may want to form an assembly line of sorts. Organize your employees to different stations within the stores, so that customers can follow a route through the store. Start with a greeter at the door who can guide customers to specific sections or display tables. Station other employees in each of these “hotspots” so they can answer questions and give advice about products. Then you’ll want several people behind the counter – a few ringing up customers, others answering questions and wrapping gifts.
Take advantage of lulls
Lulls in traffic may be few and far between, but your employees should be using them to reorganize the store, rather than take a breather. To make sure your staff is able to do this, schedule their breaks throughout the day. Then, when the line is shorter and there are fewer customers browsing your wares, you can mobilize workers to neaten displays, rehang clothing on hangers, adjust adult and child mannequins and generally tidy up your store.
Leave customers smiling
It can be hard to maintain control of your store, especially when the holidays get down to the wire and those aforementioned lulls stop altogether. But you can still make sure your customers have a pleasant experience by reminding staff to be friendly at all times, and by sending each shopper out the door with a smile. Ask your employees behind the register or near the door to wish each shopper a happy holiday.
