Christmas shopping - tips on how you as a retailer can stay calm when stress increases

Christmas shopping - tips on how you as a retailer can stay calm when stress increases

Christmas is a busy and profitable time for the retail industry. It can also be a stressful period due to extra employees at work, while the customer's expectations increase. Much of the key to managing this time in the best possible way lies in preparation.


Christmas shopping - tips on how you as a retailer can stay calm when stress increases

We'll give you 5 tips on how to stay calm in busy Christmas times.

1. Start early

Take action now, before the biggest holiday rush begins. Make sure you have a strategy in place and that you have all the materials you need to do well during the holiday season. It may be worth looking back at previous financial statements to get an idea of what to expect.

2. Streamline sales

Christmas is often a very busy period, and you may find that the staff in the store will need a little extra help to handle the Christmas rush. If you have space, you can consider a separate package counter so that the queue at checkout is not very long.
If you have the opportunity to receive payment outside the checkout counter, this will also be able to streamline sales and counteract queues in the store.

Read how Zicco and Bergans use mPOS systems in their stores

3. Prepare your store and online store

Customers love to get into the Christmas spirit, and if you don't keep up, you can lose out to other stores that are better at creating atmosphere. Try to make your premises as inviting as possible to increase visitation, and to get the window shoppers into the store. Virke expects trade in December this year to be done to a greater extent physically compared to during the Omicron pandemic in December 2021. But - this does not mean that customers stop shopping online, and it is important that the online store is also ready for the rush. Make sure your inventory is up to date, that customers find what they're looking for, that it's easy to check out and pay, and maybe you should consider extended returns. This can tilt the customer over to buy from you.

4. Offers and promotions
At this time of year, customers are looking for gifts and they want to shop — you just need to make sure they're buying from you. Entice your customers with offers that they can't resist. Free gift wrapping or an exclusive discount can be that little extra that brings the sale. Text customers with exclusive offers and discounts, which they appreciate.
Also, don't forget that January sales are just around the corner.