BFCM is one of the most popular holidays in America, often referred to as “the unofficial start of Christmas shopping”. For many years, this day has been known for large-scale sales and fights between shoppers. If you’re wondering what is BFCM and how stores prepare for BFCM, we’ve got you covered with this helpful guide!
Overview
What is BFCM?
BFCM (Black Friday Cyber Monday) is the day after Thanksgiving, and other than Christmas Eve, it’s one of the most popular sales days in America. As a result, it’s critical for stores to make as much money as possible to help keep their profit margins up, especially during the holiday season.
Around the 1960s, Black Friday became popular as a way to kick off the Christmas shopping season. During the advent of online shopping, Cyber Monday was introduced in 2005 to promote eCommerce businesses among Black Friday shoppers.
How do stores prepare for Black Friday?
Maximize On Supplies And Materials
All stores have to prepare for the influx of customers that usually arrives at BFCM, so you have to get everything ready beforehand. As customers are coming in, the stores should have adequate materials for customers to shop.
Stores always try to stay stocked up, especially with the supplies and materials such as paper, wrapping paper, and tape. You should set aside a good part of the budget for supplies and materials so you can lower the risk and cover any unexpected expenses.
That means enough receipts for everyone, enough cashiers, and enough credit card terminals. You also need boxes and bubble wrap to put all the products in when there are no more available racks.
Bring On The Staff
It’s no secret that BFCM is one of the busiest shopping days of the year, with many shoppers looking for deals on everything from clothes to electronics. Besides getting enough supplies and materials for customers, you also need to get more employees and workers right away.
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Therefore, stores should bring on extra staff for this holiday to help deal with the expected high volume of shoppers. In that way, you can guarantee that all the people coming in will receive excellent customer service.
Prepare For Your Omnichannel Retail Sales
Black Friday isn’t just about in-store shopping, it’s also about eCommerce. That’s why you need to ensure that all your sales channels are ready for business as well as the increased traffic and customer demand.
This means getting your website/mobile app up and running for all channels, creating landing pages for your social media pages, and setting up an auto-responder for all the emails you’ll be getting. Moreover, you should allow BOPIS transactions to make customers happier and more satisfied.
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Promotions And Events
To get more people in the store, you need to provide promo codes on social media or your website. You can offer special discounts or freebies on BFCM for customers who come in, which will encourage them to buy stuff while they’re there. That way, you can make more money.
Customers also look forward to other engaging activities, which is why you need to set up some fun promotional activities for your audience. This is particularly true if you’re holding an exclusive event for Black Friday Cyber Monday.
This could include freebies or giveaways, which can be done through an online contest or drawing. You should also consider organizing a party or competition so you can entertain your customers and thank them for their support.
Marketing Your Holiday Campaign
To get more customers in the store, you also need to market your holiday campaign. You can do this by creating print ads, online ads, and TV commercials. Let everyone know that you’re open for business on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Furthermore, you need to promote your holiday campaigns on all your online channels, like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.
Wrapping Up
BFCM is a significant shopping day, and if you want to get a lot of customers in-store, then you need to be ready beforehand. This checklist is here to make sure your store is ready for the holiday shopping season. To help your business be well-prepared for this shopping rush, try ConnectPOS – a great POS system for retail stores to boost omnichannel sales for free now!