Home for the Holidays? No Problem!

It’s Christmas 2020, and it will prove to be memorable in its own way. You can look very savvy to your customers by relieving their gift-giving stresses that are doubled this year because of COVID 19. Many people are still home bound, or don’t want to be out in crowds. Many people miscalculated the shipping time necessary for gifts that are ordered online. Sure, customers can select special overnight delivery options, but who has $50 they can spare this year for a fee like that?

Brick and mortar stores can offer solutions that will have lasting effects on customers who have waited until the last minute to get that special gift. Here are a few of them:

  • Help customers use your online site to order, and have it sent to your retail location for customer pick-up. Set up a separate work area for this service, complete with a display table and signage.
  • Offer a wrapping or delivery service within a specific radius of your store.
  • Open your doors early and close them later the week before Christmas, and encourage people to shop during these off hours. Maintain your displays and fixtures so that they feel like this is an exclusive shopping event for them.
  • Display your most popular items in more than one location in the store so that crowds are minimized and the product is easily accessible. This may require a re-shelving or addition of a display case, but it will be worth it in sales and satisfied customers.
  • Make gift cards available right at the store register in a revolving countertop rounder or wall-hanging filer.
  • Offer electronic gift cards on your store’s website.
  • Provide information on the inventory of popular items – either on your website, Facebook page or phone recording.
  • Make it easier on your employees and ease wait time for customers by keeping inventory on the store floor in bins or shelves behind the counter. This way, employees won’t have to go to the stockroom so often and service will be quicker.
  • Use signage wisely and strategically to guide shoppers to the deals.
  • Partner with a local packing and shipping business or have a referral sheet handy for shippers in the area.
  • Encourage shoppers to consider smaller items like electronic gadgets or mobile games that are easier and less expensive to ship.
  • If you normally offer shipping, consider giving the customer a discounted rush shipping option.