On December 26, the big holiday is over, but for retailers the party is still going strong. The day after Christmas is no Cyber Monday or Black Friday, but it still marks a huge opportunity for sales. In fact, it’s the fifth-busiest shopping day of the year, according to data from RetailNext.
With the right preparation, businesses can transform a day that shoppers might dread (crowded stores and hassles in the returns and exchanges line) into one that will keep their post-Christmas spirits up all day long.
Here are some tips to make the most of it:
Promote your day-after-Christmas sales and offers.
It’s a given that people will be out shopping on December 26, even if they might not want to be. But you need to give them a reason (amid all the major sales at various retailers that day) why they should visit your business.
Send your email subscribers a message (with an enticing subject line, of course) outlining your sales, as data from MediaPost found that 38 percent of consumers prefer to hear about holiday deals via email. It found that just 12 percent prefer to get these messages through social media, so it’s worth posting your promotions to cover all of your bases.
Streamline the returns and exchanges process.
Assign a dedicated area for returns and exchanges, and schedule enough employees that day to make sure that each area of the store is properly staffed. It also helps to station an employee at the front of the store to greet customers, inform them of the day’s promotions and, if needed, direct them to the returns and exchanges area.
Make shopping a relaxing experience.
After a frenzied holiday season, most consumers need a break from long lines, loud music, and the general madness of holiday shopping. So, create a Zen oasis in your store with soothing music and beverages like tea and cucumber water. Also, make sure everything is organized and tidy — you don’t want it to look like it was just hit by a tornado of Christmas Eve shoppers (even if it was).
Highlight new merchandise.
The post-holiday sales are obviously the biggest draw for day-after-Christmas shopping, but you need to get customers to keep coming back. Display new items front and center, and consider offering a slight discount on new merchandise to incentivize shoppers who came in to return presents or to make a purchase with a gift card.
Give customers a reason to come back.
Turn a single purchase into multiple sales by incentivizing return visits. When customers make a purchase at your store on the day after Christmas, give them (or email them) a coupon for significant savings in the days and weeks ahead.
For example, offer them 25 percent off of new merchandise during the first week of January, and maybe 30 percent off the following week. Whatever the promotion, make it attractive enough to entice shoppers to keep coming back long after Christmas, building a solid foundation of sales to carry you through the beginning of the new year.
You might also encourage shoppers to join your loyalty program so they can get rewards or savings throughout the year.
