With Harrods and Selfridges opening their Christmas stores a full five months before the big day, retailers are preparing for an earlier than usual festive rush this year as consumers look to spread out their spending, says Debra Jamieson, Sales & Marketing Director of point of sale market leaders, UK Point of Sale (UK POS).
Seasonal trends has always been a popular topic amongst retailers and suppliers but now consumer trends are changing and setting the agenda for the rest of us; thinking about Christmas in June, and swapping sangria for Santa hats, is no longer as absurd as it once was.
Being organised is crucial and having a watertight strategy to engage with the hundreds of thousands of potential customers that are wandering the high street with their Christmas list is key. After you’ve enticed customers into your stores you need to be thinking about impulse buying and cross-selling… here are some tips to make sure you’ve covered the basics…
1) Get inside your customer’s heads
Understanding your clientele is fundamental to your store’s success and is something to bear in mind when promoting special offers through point of sale (POS). The other factor to consider is the style of POS items used to promote such offers. If stores are higher-end, they should go for a better quality of POS materials. Wooden framed display cards with chalkboard inserts or flex pavement holders are an excellent option. Alternatively, stores that drive sales predominately through offers should use cost effective alternatives such as plastic framed display cards or re-useable adhesive ticket holders where offers and promotions can quickly and easily be changed.
2) Think about how your store looks to a customer
Essentially POS positioning is just as important as the special offer it promotes, so make the most out of available space, both inside and out. Maximise the use of each section/aisle to promote any special festive offers and deals with poster holders and ceiling danglers at the entrance, to merchandising strips, show cards and shelf talkers down the dedicated aisle and branded impulse bins at the checkouts. This fluidity will pass on the necessary visual cues that turn browsers into buyers.
3) Don’t forget the importance of your shop window
Window merchandising on the high street is an extremely important part of a customer’s shopping experience. Ensuring a shop window really stands out and that special offers and promotions are clearly on show will make all the difference. The obvious forms of POS ideal for such displays include window poster holders or deli tickets. But displaying your products effectively is just as important, which is where display bridges and support stands come into play.
UK POS has been manufacturing point of sale products for over 20 years and is continually adapting to changing market trends when it comes to working with retailers to market their offers. Best selling products include banner frames and snap frames.
UK POS
Tel: 0161 431 4400
Twitter: twitter.com/UKPOSGroup
Facebook: www.facebook.com/UKPOS
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