For retailers, this holiday season is a gold rush of income. If you are a retailer, there's a good chance that you're staffing up and stocking up so that you'll be ready to serve customers as Christmas nears.
As that day draws near, your store will likely see more and more people crowding in. This is your opportunity to wow them with your service but it's also the hardest time to do that because so many people are competing for your attention. How can you manage the crush of people?
Here are some ideas:
- For repeat customers, invite them to an invitation-only event after hours. Close your doors to the general public, put out nice food and festive music, and greet each person by name. You'll generate a great following of loyal customers and people will enjoy the exclusivity. Offer secret one-day-only discounts that they have to show up to take advantage of.
- Open early and close late and post your busiest times on the window of your store. For example, post a sign that reads, “During December we are open from 6 AM to 10 PM and we're busiest between 5 PM and 8 PM. We'd love to serve you.” That way, people can see when you're open and might be able to find a time to come back later.
- If you have one register in your store, consider opening a second register, just for the holidays. Make it “cash only,” for example, so that people can run through even more quickly.
