If you haven’t already started you should be thinking about the upcoming holiday season. 
There are three key areas that I want to encourage you to consider as you plan your holiday.
1. Look & Feel
The Fall and Christmas season are my favorites and they provide so may opportunities to use warm colors (oranges, burgundy’s and browns) and deep, rich hues like greens, reeds and blues. No other seasons in retail are so marked by colors, smells and the feel of warmth. You should take advantage of a ll of these in your stores. Here’s what you do:
- Decorate your store.
- Use your theme as a source of inspiration
- Transition through the season with your look and feel
- Use simple knick-knacks and seasonal items to enhance your decoration throughout the store.
- Don’t forget to dress up the front of your store and feature displays
- Be mindful of odors
2. Holiday Buying
To say that I am cautiously optimistic about the Holiday season says everything as I know many of you are as well. So how do you buy for the holidays on a tight budget? First, work your core inventory. You know what’s working in your store so don’t let up. Second, take advantage of publisher and/or distributor specials. Many of the publishers and distributors in the marketplace are aware of just how tough things are for some stores and they have created managers specials, extended terms and discounts. Also look for vendors such as Barbour publishing who offer great bargain book buys year round. Check with your vendors and see what offers they may have available that fit your store. However, just because something is on sale doesn’t mean it is best for you. Make sure it fits your store and your product mix. 75% off should not and can not drive your buying decision alone. Third, don’t for get the gifts. It’s the holiday season and the main reason people are shopping is for gifts. Shopping stats tell us even though people may spend less in their overall spending for the holidays they still plan to spend on their immediate family. So a good buying strategy for gift items may be to keep mom, dad and the kids in mind. Make sure you take a look at Inspirational Gift Trends for inspiration (no pun intended), trends and vendors.
3. Service
Adding some bonus services to your holiday planning is always a nice special touch. You can offer a variety of things like free bible imprinting, gift registry or, one of my favorites, gift wrapping. For church stores a gift wrap table can be set-up and members or your teen and kids ministry can man it as a fundraiser opportunity. Be creative and find ways to be a blessing to your customers during the season.
Most importantly remain positive and people focused during the holiday season as much as it is a sales opportunity it is also a ministry opportunity. The two can work hand in hand.
David McIntyre
