The holiday season isn’t just a time for family and friends — it’s time for shopping. Lots of shopping. In store, online, click and collect - all flavors of shopping!
With research showing that shoppers are still spending more in store than online, it’s important for retailers to draw those customers in, especially throughout the holiday season.
One way to do that is to leverage appointments and events to create experiences that drive foot traffic, increase basket size, and better engage customers.
Think about this:
- In 2018, $707.5 billion was spent during the holiday season.
- The NRF predicted an average spend of $1,007 per shopper.
- 64% of shoppers spend more in products/services after a face-to-face meeting or appointment, according to our Consumer Behavior research.
Knowing that basket size increases when you can get buyers in-store, what are some strategies to drive foot traffic in-store to ensure a very merry holiday season?
Host an event! Events are designed to deliver personalized experiences while creating a unique connection between retailer and customer. And the additional source of revenue doesn’t hurt either. 😉
Classes
Classes offer an ideal opportunity to invite your best prospects and customers into the store and have them walk away with an experience and a gift. Think about offering sessions in wrapping gifts, ornament making, or cookie baking.
Experiences
Create an opportunity for customers to truly experience the toys, fashions or specialty items of the season. Last year, Target cleared 250,000 square feet of store space to make room for toy experiences creating an opportunity for children to interact with the latest toys, ride on electric vehicles, and test out various playsets. This year, they’re looking to build on the success of last year’s program.
Parties
Invite the after work crowd for a cocktail and a sneak peak at higher end items with a grand piano in the background and personal shoppers on hand. It’s a great solution for apparel vendors who may choose to have a trunk show or fashion event in the background.
Or perhaps a different type of party is more your store’s ethos: Walmart hosted thousands of individual holiday parties across the country to bring holiday traffic in-store last year.
Pop-up stores
Like events, pop-up shops enable retailers to set up a seasonal presence that offer something new to shoppers. They are ideal for testing out new concepts, new merchandise, and driving engagement.
Or consider the concept of a “store within a store” where you can offer monogramming, specialty items, and personalization of gift items.
Community-oriented events
In line with your store’s community or social efforts, the holidays are a perfect time to invite local kids in-store to meet Frosty the Snowman or Santa. They not only leave with a photo or a new toy, but with an unshakeable memory of the occasion and your brand. Similarly, toy drives will bring people in store to drop off gifts and shop for more, all while sharing the joy of the season.
It’s clear that the event possibilities are endless. You may ask why we are emphasizing the importance of an in-store experience. Here's the facts:
- 55% of consumers shop in-store because they like to browse and find new gift ideas
- 60% of consumers plan to shop in-store so they can interact with products
As consumers evidently value the physical browsing experience, it’s vital to provide options for shoppers to navigate through the store and help them find that perfect item. Setting up your event toward the back of the store and directing traffic through multiple aisles exposes customers to more products, and could result in larger basket sizes.
There are countless ways to draw shoppers into the store to make the most out of the holiday season, and capture your share of wallet. Are we missing anything? Share your ideas with us on Twitter!
Read more: 8 examples of in-store events (for any time of year!)
Additionally, check out our eBook, "Enhancing customer relationships with in-store events" for more tips.
