Thursday 3 July 2014

How to Boost Business in the Summer - Flourish Tip for Retailers

Summer can be a tough season in retail. Your customers are out enjoying the sun, enjoying some travelling, enjoying summer activities with their families and friends.

Don’t panic! All is not lost. 

Craftily using displays, events, community involvement, and extra customer care are a few things you can do to promote  your business and boost those summer sales.



Use Displays

Pull together merchandise you already carry in-store to create a new comprehensive summer display. Think summer fashions, summer entertaining, summer gifts, summer scents …  Feature these items in a prominent area inside your store as well as in your window(s) to attract passers-by.

Host Events

Invite your customers your hosted outdoor or summer-oriented events. Any excuse to create an event will do, really! Perhaps pair up with a complementary business to help create new customers for both businesses. Offer some refreshments, an activity, a draw, specials, or promotions to boost traffic. Hosting a weekday evening event will promote sales on days other than those already busy summer weekends.

Clearance Sales

Summer is a great time to start clearing out old merchandise; start clearing out winter & spring merchandise before fall arrivals, which usually begin arriving in August, to stimulate otherwise slow July revenues. Be sure to group similar items or items within the same promotion and sign them properly so customers feel compelled to buy!

Make Some Phone Calls

Make a quick call to keep your best (and most profitable) customers up-to-date on what’s happening in-store. Keeping the call friendly, invite your trusted customers to your events, tell them about your sale, or update them on future arrivals. Let your customers know they are important to you. Enjoy the chat!

Keep Customers (and pets) Refreshed

Who wouldn’t enjoy a cool, refreshing beverage on a hot summer shopping day? Offer your customers a glass of cold water – perhaps infused with lemon, lime, or cucumber. Don’t forget a bowl of water for visiting pets! Comfortable, happy shoppers are more likely to stick around longer and spend a few extra dollars.

Team up with others

There’s a good chance others in your area are also feeling a lull in business. Chat them up and see what you can accomplish together! You could all chip in to take out an ad or get together for a large community event. Together, you can come up with ideas to take advantage of what might already be happening in the community, too. Business is easier when you’re working as a team.

Get Involved in the Community

What events might be taking place nearby this summer? Sponsor charity or non-profit events happening in your community that might appeal to your target market. Attend these same events armed with business cards or brochures for some good old-fashioned networking!

Although, summer time can be tough for any entrepreneur, don’t forget the resources at your fingertips and to make use of the extra time that a lull in business can provide. Use the time for getting ahead on blog posts (scheduling them to post according to your editorial schedule), tweaking your website, doing guest article posts, or adding to your social media reach. The sky is the limit!

Looking for more info, articles, and interaction? Follow us on facebook, twitter, and Pinterest, too! Not enough?  Get in touch with Flourish today to ensure your store is the most engaging it can be.

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