The holidays are around the corner, so what can retailers to do maximise sales? With no time to waste, here are six timely strategies and tactics retailers are implementing to attract shoppers this holiday shopping season.
Utilise wish lists
Whether shoppers buy a product as a gift or for themselves, items on wish lists are more likely to be purchased. Another benefit to retailers is that lapsed customers can be reminded to revisit a site through segmented email campaigns.
Offer early deals
According to The National Retail Federation, nearly 57% of those celebrating the holidays began their shopping in early November last year. Retailers are no longer waiting until Black Friday and Cyber Monday to offer deals.
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Include late deals
Astute retailers recognise the value of catering to procrastinators. Sometimes instead of offering a percent off deal, they lure in the last-minute shoppers by offering free guaranteed delivery. Late in the holiday season, guaranteed delivery is often more important to shoppers than a deal on a particular item.
Provide easy returns
Many retailers now offer a generous return policy to holiday customers. Some extend their normal return window to accommodate early shoppers. For example, a customer buying a gift in early November requires more than the standard 30-day return period, so many retailers will extend the deadline to late January.
Use email
Despite the growing social media marketing trends, email is still the most effective tool to drive sales. Savvy marketers know the formula for successful holiday email campaigns:
- Short, attention-grabbing headlines
- A festive, holiday look
- Links to holiday landing pages
- Clear call-to-actions (CTA)
Make it personal
When the average customer email click-through rate is 2.5 times higher using personalised emails, retailers can’t ignore it. Shoppers are more likely to respond to a message crafted for them rather than a generic mass mailing.
Now is the time of year for retailers to review last year’s strategy and data, see what worked and what didn’t, and come up with fresh ideas to make this truly the most wonderful time of the year.
(Source: Multichannel Merchant)