Holiday Shopping

3 Key Tips For A Great Holiday Retail Season

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As I tour retail stores, a common complaint I hear is seeing Christmas items before we’ve even hit Halloween. So why are stores setting up Christmas early if shoppers hate it? Is it because of supply chain concerns? Online competition? Triggering bigger spending? This insight focuses on customer experience tips retailers can use to create a more magical season.

Table of Content

Introduction

Digging into numbers from The National Retail Federation (NRF) I find the answer is simple – it’s because shoppers are buying. Both NRF and RetailMeNot national surveys show that 44% of all shoppers begin holiday shopping in October — and have been for almost 20 years. In 2000, Lowes began selling Xmas trees on October 1st.

In 2002, Target, Walmart, and JC Penney began holding Holiday Sales in October, and by 2010 most retailers were promoting holiday sales or displays in some form by September/October.

Percentage of shoppers that begin holiday shopping in October

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RetailMeNot

The New Normal

What’s interesting is that shoppers still perceive this as “new” when in fact it’s been well-established for over a decade. That’s a strong indicator that, instead of retailers pushing the envelope, it’s really the consumer feeling stress about the holidays earlier.

Holiday Shopping
Holiday Shopping Tim Mossholder at Pexels

Christmas Retail Strategies

In understanding this dynamic, retailers have an opportunity to adjust their holiday strategies to create a more supportive and enjoyable in-store experience with some basics: 

**Clear guidance and discreet access to a full range of payment options. Help your customers feel more in control of their spend.

** Free gift wrap stations, including self-wrap if staffing is tight. If they are buying money in products, take the extra stress of buying/ storing wrapping paper and tape off their shoulders.

**Amplify your holiday decor. I see too many retailers cutting back on store decorations. But walking into an undecorated store or worse, a half-hearted effort is incredibly depressing to shoppers. Remember the days when walking into a store during the holidays lifted your spirits? Let’s do that again – shoppers need it now more than ever.

Final Word

Yes, profits are tight for retailers, but being responsive when your customer is feeling stressed is the foundation of loyalty, repeat business, and long-term success.

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DeAnn Campbell
DeAnn Campbell

What began with a Degree in Architecture has evolved into a global strategy and customer experience practice aimed at helping brands and retailers regain profitability in a multi-channel world. DeAnn has spent over 25 years developing successful strategy and customer experience initiatives for Fortune 500 companies, including Target, Walmart, The Body Shop, Boar’s Head, Aramark, Cirque du Soleil, Costco, Petro-Canada, The Home Depot, Walgreens, Publix, Dollar General, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Lululemon, Bealls, Big Lots, PetCo and more.

The focus of her work is to help companies turn evolving customer behaviors and operational realities into strategies that improve profit margins by connecting shoppers and their communities to better retail. A published writer and speaker, DeAnn is a member of the RetailWire Advisory Board and has been named one of ReThink Retail’s Global Top 100 Retail Influencers.

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