Christmas is fast approaching – from the look of some supermarkets you’d think it started 2 months ago! Whether you are the type of business that expects to see a rise in sales over the Christmas period, or one that needs to manage customer expectations due to staff leave, we have all the tips you need to manage your sales during the festive period.
- Be clear about last order dates and Christmas closures
Some of us are forward planners (hello from someone who bought their Christmas cards in the summer holidays!) and some of us are last minute panic shoppers. There’s no way of knowing which camp your individual customers will fall into, but you can make sure that if they get themselves into a pickle, it can’t be perceived to be your fault! Make all information about Christmas order dates and opening hours clear on your website, social media, and email communications well before the end of November, that way your customers only have themselves to blame if you can’t meet their expectations.
On that note, please be aware that E R Grove and Co are entirely closed between Christmas and New Year!
If you have urgent tax matters to attend to, you’ll need to get in contact with us before Christmas Eve!
- If your product could be gifted, add personalisation or gift-wrapping options to your order forms
The option to personalise or gift wrap presents saves time and hassle for customers, and also (probably) gives a more professional result than they could achieve themselves. (Hello again from someone who wraps their gifts like an origami master). Make sure you really promote this option in your marketing messaging, as it may be just the thing that makes your customers choose you rather than the competition at this time of year.
- Flag up your returns policies
Whenever you buy a gift, there is always the worry that the person won’t like it and will want to return it. (Hello again from someone whose husband once bought them bathroom scales for Christmas – yes, really!). It can be an enticing touch to extend your returns policy over the Christmas period so that customers can be secure in the knowledge that the gift recipient has plenty of time to return or exchange their gift. This also means that the recipient doesn’t run the risk of accidentally re-gifting it to your customer to get rid of it the following year!
- Don’t forget that the period after Christmas Day is significant for sales too
Many people receive money for Christmas and want to spend it before it burns a hole in their pocket like that dragon from the John Lewis advert. If your business is likely to attract these kind of sales, make sure that you are all set up to accept sales and send out stock in the week between Christmas and New Year.
- Show your customers & suppliers some Christmas love!
Without your customers & suppliers, you wouldn’t have the funds to spend on your own Christmas, so make sure you show them your appreciation over the festive period, whether it’s with a Christmas card, a special offer, or a get-together. People often really appreciate gifts for their children, so maybe host a free Santa’s Grotto, with some mulled wine and mince pies for the grown-ups!
Here at E R Grove we would like to invite all our clients to our Christmas Drinks on Wednesday 4th December 2pm-5pm at The Lyttleton Arms, Hagley. Click here to book your place
