Christmas is one of the busiest and most lucrative times of the year for shop owners, however without careful planning it can also extremely stressful. Furthermore, without adapting your business for the festive season you could lose out on your share of the market. Profit from December can give your company a much-needed boost and place it in good stead for the New Year, so here we look at how you can ensure success over the next month:

Embrace the Christmas Spirit

In a number of our previous blog posts we have discussed how the UK’s retail industry is changing, with customers now looking for shops to provide a service and not just products. This means that shop owners need to embrace the Christmas spirit as much as possible, enabling your customers to find visiting your shop and buying your products enjoyable. Deciding when to start playing Christmas music or put up decorations really depends on your preference, however it’s essential you aren’t the last shop on the high street to start celebrating! By the 1st of December most people are already in the Christmas spirit, so make sure you have stocked up on decorations, which brings us to our next point…

Make your Decorations Stand Out

Decorating your shop for Christmas should be more than just putting up some tinsel and the odd baubles you found in a box, as the more effort you put into decorating your shop the more likely you are to attract customers. Your shop front is a great advertisement for your store, and by decorating it properly you will attract more customers during the festive season. If you have any special offers you should also display these prominently, as money is often tight over the Christmas period and most people are looking for a great deal. Don’t forget you can also offer your customers a free mince pie or glass of mulled wine if your licence and shop insurance permits it, which will make visiting your shop an enjoyable experience and not just a reason to purchase products.

Monitor your Stock Carefully

Choosing the amount of stock you need over the Christmas period can often be difficult, especially if you are adapting it to include Christmas themed products. One of the issues with buying products specifically for Christmas is that if you don’t sell them during December they will be practically worthless in the New Year. On the other hand, if you don’t invest in Christmas products you will lose out on a share of the market, as those that buy Christmas gifts will generally also buy other products from your store. A good idea is to look at what stock sold the best last year and arrange what to order this year based on previous figures. Finding a pattern could make ordering your stock each year much easier, so make sure you keep a note of everything.

Keep up with Trends

The popularity of certain products fluctuates year on year, so it’s important you understand what is currently in fashion in order to attract customers. For example, vintage style products are currently extremely sought after, however next year it could be products that have a more modern feel. A great way to keep up with popular trends is to look at what websites or magazines are advising their readers to buy right now. It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on current affairs so you have an understanding of the current UK economy, that way you will understand if your customers are struggling to afford gifts and can therefore adapt your prices accordingly and still be competitive in the market.

Get your Staff Involved

Christmas is a time to have fun, and you should try and make sure you bring some of this fun into the work place. Getting your staff excited for Christmas will reflect in their attitudes when serving customers, ultimately making your store an enjoyable place to shop. Why not organise a competition among your staff to create a Christmas card to send out to you customers, or arrange a Secret Santa? You could even treat your staff to a Christmas lunch in order to say thank you for all their hard work, especially if you need them to work on days that most people usually have off such as Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Your staff can make a big difference to the success of your business over Christmas, so make sure you show them how much you value them!