It’s here. The most anticipated and dreaded season is upon us. Holiday shopping has started but the fun begins on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. Here are some tips to get adapt now as you prepare your store and your staff.
Invest in faster checkouts
Use portable checkout systems like an iPad POS. The mobility enables your store to move lines faster through additional checkout centers. Who doesn’t love shorter lines?
Advertising
If you advertise right, shoppers will come. Get the word out about what you have to offer students. Since many students leave campus for the Thanksgiving weekend, start your Black Friday sales, before Black Friday. Entice students to stop in for holiday shopping before they leave for their break. Use social media, email lists, poster around campus to let your shoppers know why they should come in.
Spread the deals
Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year, but there is no reason why your sales cannot extend beyond the store. Offer special deals online
Crowd Management
Position security or crowd managers to the side of enter and exit doors, not the center of their path. Try using radios to easily communicate with staff.
Fan out the sales
Prevent overcrowding by spreading sale items throughout the different parts of the store. Customers will be forced to walk around the store, giving you the opportunity to increase your sales.
Staffing
Every retail worker expects to be scheduled more around big holidays, Black Friday is no exception. It’s a sink or swim situation. Keep everyone afloat by preparing your staff for what is ahead. Train them properly to answer any question they will have thrown at them.
