As the seasons change, so should your marketing style. You'll need to use different techniques to reach out to customers during the colder months, so here are some tips to help keep your store hot even as temperatures drop outside.
Ramp up your online marketing
It can be easy to draw in foot traffic during the summer, spring and fall, as people are more likely to be out strolling around and shopping. But during the winter, especially when it's snowing or very cold, people are much more likely to log on to make online purchases, rather than venture out to a store. To help capture people on blustery days, ramp up your online marketing. Increase postings on Facebook and Twitter, guiding customers to your online marketplace. Or, if you know you have some great deals or items that are only available in-store, tout them online to entice people to bundle up and head out for a bit of cold weather shopping.
Conserve space for bulky items
Particularly for clothing retailers, it can be hard to fit all of your big, bulky winter items in a small space. Conservation is key during the cold months. Shoe retailers should put out only one type of each boot on their display tables, rather than pairs. Use store fixtures along the walls to display winter coats, as they can often take up too much room on the racks. Small items, like gloves and scarves, can be set out in festive bins to maximize space.
Discounts help get rid of summer stock
If you still have a bunch of summer items on hand, offer an "end of the season" sale now to get them off the shelves. Remind customers through bright signs or online postings that they can buy now what they'll need for next summer, but at a much discounted price. You can even create a window display to showcase your deals by purchasing a few mannequins for sale and dressing them up in bathing suits, sunglasses, shorts and sandals.
Stagger sales to beat out competition
Shoppers will likely be on the hunt for discounts right after the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, but you can edge out the competition by offering sales during unusual times. Instead of Black Friday sales, offer "Black Wednesday" sales the day before Thanksgiving. Early bird specials for shoppers who like to get their Christmas presents out of the way well before the holiday rush can draw customers in weeks before the holiday.
