Thanksgiving weekend is a time for family get-togethers and shopping bargains. The weekend, which used to be a national holiday followed by a day of door-busting discounts, has now expanded into a five-day shopping festival. Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season, which is followed by Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But first, what does a retail store need to prepare for Thanksgiving? This blog will give you a list of 5 things you can do as a retailer.
Overview
Start early
If you haven’t already, start thinking about thanksgiving (as well as BFCM!). According to a report, more than half of shoppers start Christmas shopping or researching for Black Friday in October. Therefore, September/October is the moment to tempt them with special offers and promo codes.
Consumers will be in line and buying throughout the holiday weekend, so don’t wait until then. Planning early can also give you more time to investigate last year’s data and current sales trends to come up with suitable marketing strategies.
Check the online store’s loading speed
Customers will be turned off by the slow loading speed on the internet. In fact, 46% of buyers have stated that they will never return to a website that is laggy. You must ensure that this does not occur on your website when you prepare your retail store for Thanksgiving.
Check to see whether your checkout procedure is up to standard. Shoppers on Thanksgiving have a limited amount of time and hundreds of stores to choose from. If your checkout process isn’t going well, they’ll be more likely to quit. Therefore, investing a day to enhance your checkout experience ahead of Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday might pay off.
Plan Thanksgiving discounts
Most customers expect at least a 10-20% discount on their purchases on Thanksgiving. As a retailer, you want to be able to compete. To differentiate yourself, try including a free gift with your items as a way to sweeten the sale. The larger the discount, the more likely it is that customers will be attracted to your deal.
If you wish to stand out, consider the following suggestions. Display discounts noticeably on the homepage so that customers can see how much money they will save during Thanksgiving. You may also add a countdown banner to the mix. A countdown banner adds urgency and increases enthusiasm.
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Send email marketing
Email marketing allows you to communicate directly with your existing consumers as well as those who have subscribed to your email list. This provides you the option to reward and appreciate their loyalty with a unique deal.
To whet your consumers’ appetites, start your email marketing campaign at least a week before Thanksgiving. This can help spark their curiosity in the upcoming sales.
Pay attention to security
Security camera systems are an excellent short- and long-term solution for decreasing retail theft. Security cameras not only allow you to keep an eye on your customers and staff, but they also serve as a visual warning to shoplifters.
If you’re planning to hire seasonal employees, potential recruits should be properly investigated. Conduct background checks on potential candidates in addition to the standard application and interview procedure, especially if they will be handling sensitive information.
Conclusion
Thanksgiving, followed by Black Friday and Cyber Monday, is the most profitable time of the year. Hopefully, this guide can help you better prepare your retail store for Thanksgiving.
If you need a point of sale solution to operate things more efficiently and error-free, check out ConnectPOS. We take pride in providing retailers all over the world with powerful omnichannel features. Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information!