Looking to take advantage of your summer sales!? Learn how to increase sales in retail this summer! Read below for more…
Summer is here, and everyone is ready to get out of their home and do something fun. Shopping at your boutique can be fun, and you can increase sales at the same time.
Some retailers say summertime means slow business and low sales because customers are busy traveling, enjoying outdoor activities, or working. This may be true, but that does not equal lower retail sales. It simply means you must get creative, use your talents, and give customers a reason to shop this summer.
Below are some ideas on how to increase sales in retail this summer.
Attract Visitors
While your customers may be traveling away from your area, others are traveling to your area. Run a promotion for traveling shoppers. Offer special discounts for customers visiting from another state or country. If you don’t want to discount your items, create a goody bag filled with free stuff like product samples from the area. When someone makes a purchase, surprise them with a good bag.
You can also make their shopping experience interactive and memorable by celebrating their hometown. Have a large map of the United States and encourage traveling customers to mark their hometown. Or give a shout-out on social media to your customer’s home state.
Host a Social Media Sale
Social media is a great way to advertise your products. Host a live-streaming sale. People who love the item will respond to your post with questions like, “where can I get that?” or “Gotta have it.” That’s your chance to close the deal. You can even set up a social media store, and your customers can pay for the items immediately.
Think of it as a pop-up shop. It is a temporary event to grab the customers’ attention and increase sales.
Seasonal Giveaways
Wouldn’t your customers love something for free on a hot, sweltering summer day? Yes, they would. Seasonal giveaways can be a big hit. Make sure the giveaway item is related to summer so that people will get excited. Trying to giveaway a hoodie when it’s 100 degrees outside will not make people excited to visit your store.
Giving away a gift card to happy hour for a frozen daiquiri will have customers lining up around the corner.
Limited Editions
One way to create a frenzy among customers is to sell something awesome in limited supply. When the supply is low, the demand increases, especially when the product you sell is unique.
Jewelry makes excellent limited edition products. A signature by the designer or marking noting they are limited editions even better. While customers are drawn to clothing, shoes, and accessories similar to what others are buying, they also want something to help them stand out from the crowd. Enter your limited edition items.
Offer a One-Day Free Service
Customers can benefit from numerous professional services but rarely treat themselves. For example, getting an accurate bra size, learning their body type and skin tones, and finding the best hairstyles for their facial shape.
You can help your customers look and feel better by giving them this information and teaching them how to buy accordingly. You can even partner with local businesses that can offer professional advice. A local hair stylist or seamstress, for example. Or you can create an interactive online program your customers can engage with while in your store.
Offering the free service for one day only is smart because it prevents customers from putting it off until later.
Take Your Store into the Community
Sometimes it is better to go where your customers are rather than getting them to come to your shop. If there is a local farmer’s market, join it. Most markets accept vendors of all kinds. If there is a local festival, concert, or extravaganza, join it as a vendor selling the products from your store.
When you make your store mobile, ensure the items you are selling match the event’s theme. If you are selling at a farmer’s market, sell products with a farm, gardening, animal, or food theme. Other ideas for mobile selling include:
- Organically made, all-natural clothing at a farmer’s market
- Rock and roll graphic tees at a concert
- Sports-themed jewelry at a sporting event
- Build-Your-Own-Bundle at a crafts show
- Live models in wedding gowns, showcasing wedding jewelry at a bridal show
Selling the wrong items will be disappointing, even if they are the best items in your store. If you are a vendor at the annual summer celebration and try to sell winter coats, your booth probably won’t get many visitors. The same is true if you are a vendor at a Thanksgiving event trying to sell Easter items. It just makes sense to be seasonal with your sales.
Take Advantage of the Holidays
Almost every retail store, from hardware to home goods, has holiday sales. You, too, can take advantage of this celebration time. But figure out how to make your holiday sale stand out. Ideas include starting it a day earlier or ending it a day later. Reward customers who represent the holiday (e.g., military members on the 4th of July).
Donate a portion of your revenue from the sale to a local charity. Partner with local businesses and create a store crawl where customers receive something special at each business they visit on the “crawl list.”
Even More Ideas
If you can think of it, you can make it happen. If you struggle with coming up with ideas, here are a few more to get you started:
- Reward your loyal customers with discounts
- Host a “Back to School” event
- Sponsor local events
- Host a fundraiser
- Try before you buy limited promotion with free delivery and pick up to their homes
- Start offering personalization services
- Hire or collaborate with local celebrities who can get your products noticed
Wrapping Up How to Increase Sales in Retail This Summer
Once you start brainstorming ideas, you will have a long list of tactics to increase sales in retail this summer. Now all you must do is start implementing them and enjoy the rewards.
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