4 tips to turn your sales period into a success
It’s almost time … SALES! Two times a year, a period where you as a retailer are extra busy and stressed out. Start today with all the preparations and let yourself be inspired by our tips so you will have that little extra time for your customers during the sales period.
1. Plan and organise your sales
You don’t often think about the additional percentage discount you give at the start of the sales. In fact you give discount on discount which is a double loss and very unnecessary. You want to keep your margins to a maximum, even during the sales. If you work strategically when reducing articles, you’ll see it has a positive effect on your margins but also on your turnover. Take the time to closely look at your sales of the past season, to inspect your stock and form an image of what to expect during the sales month.
You can make a ‘sales plan’ in Excel with a schedule for your reductions. During the period you can fall back on that document so you don’t have to make rash decisions. So you know exactly which items need to be put in the picture or set as a special discount to lure people into your shop or web shop.
Start the sales period well and take a lead on your competition
2. Make sure you have enough staff and material in the shop
You don’t want to miss out on sales due to a lack of staff? Make a schedule so you know exactly who does what and when. When you sell online, you want to help your customers as fast as you would normally do, even during the sales. So it’s an important part of your schedule.
Don’t forget the practical things: sufficient bags, gift wrapping, gift cards and other things you normally provide to give to a customer. Do you have a leaflet for the new collection? Don’t hesitate to give one for every purchase.
3. Decorate your shop during the sales and keep it organised.
Keep your shop organized and make sure there is enough fitting room and room to walk. This is a chance to show new customers how you run your shop. Keep it organized: sort out your articles and make sure they end up in the right place and not on the floor. In a well organized shop, people find faster what they are looking for which translates into more sales.
While you don’t need to fold up clothes in in your web shop, the same rules apply here. It’s better to add a separate item in the main navigation page of your web shop so visitors get a clear overview of all the sales. An additional subdivision can be an added value here and improve your customers’ usability. Try organizing your web shop the same way as your physical shop to create a whole which is one of omnichannel retail’s pillars. Think about sales labels and crossed out prices so it’s immediately obvious which items’ prices are reduced.
4. Keep an eye out for your competition
It can be very informative to keep an eye out for your competition in the build-up to the sales period to gain ideas for your own sales. The most simple way to ‘spy’ on your competition is to subscribe to the newsletters. You don’t only learn what type of emails they send but also the frequency of their emails.
You can go even further by following your competition on social media or to use Google Alerts to see which websites they mention. If you really don’t want to miss a thing, use Visual Ping to keep an eye out on your competition’s websites. When they make an important change on their website, you’ll be the first to know.
“On your way to a successful sales period.”
Preparation, planning and a ‘better too early than too late mentality’ are key for a successful sales period. Those tips should help you in the build-up to the sales. Keep an eye out for our blog for more tips.