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How to make the most of Afterpay Day

Tips and advice on how to drive more sales

Melbourne furniture retailer BROSA took part in its first Afterpay Day in 2020. And, says the brand, it won’t be the last time it participates.

“We were extremely surprised with the sales uplift and traffic that we received from the exposure on Afterpay’s channels,” says BROSA’s head of marketing Renee Rosperich, who adds that sales rose by 573 per cent during the four-day sale. “It not only met our expectations but exceeded them.”

For retailers like BROSA, Afterpay Day has become an increasingly important date on the retail calendar – much like Boxing Day or Cyber Monday.

“Every year we get amazing feedback from retailers,” says Afterpay campaign marketing manager Mikaela Wagner. “It’s become a key retail moment for them.”

“Afterpay Day has become a key moment for retailers”

- Mikaela Wagner, Afterpay

And it’s no wonder – in August 2020 during the Afterpay Day, the average order value (AOV) for participating retailers rose by 10 per cent, while overall sales were up 26 per cent compared to the previous event.

But the benefits go well beyond the sales period itself, says Dominique Greenfield, Afterpay’s engagement marketing lead.

“Afterpay Day is not only a way for retailers to engage their existing customer base – but it can help acquire new customers.”

That’s because Afterpay invests in a substantial marketing campaign to promote the sale, in order to drive customers to the Afterpay shopping directory to find discounts and deals.

“The Afterpay Shop Directory essentially becomes a marketing engine for retailers. It’s the interface between merchants and consumers,” says Greenfield.

Last year, during the August Afterpay Day, the shop directory drove more than two million Australian and New Zealand leads to retailers participating in the sale – meaning many retailers reached new audiences and customers.

But in order to gain maximum benefits, it’s important for retailers to adequately prepare.

Here are the top tips from the Afterpay marketing team.

Register your offer
To be featured on Afterpay’s Shop Directory of sales offers, retailers must register their offer by March 12.
Prime your customers
From March 13–18, Wagner recommends pre-promoting the sale. “We encourage merchants to ‘prime’ their audience in the three days leading up to the sale. That ensures that customers know the sale is coming..” Wagner suggests sending an email to your customer base or posting on social media during this period.
Make it personal
Unlike many other retail events, such as Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day or Christmas, Afterpay Day isn’t focused on gifting. Instead, it’s a reliable, biannual opportunity for consumers to plan ahead and save on products they want or need. “There aren’t many occasions for consumers to just think about themselves,” says Wagner, who notes that this may be one way to position the sale to customers. She adds that the introduction of Afterpay’s new ‘Favourites feature’ means that customers can now curate and personalise their shopping lists in advance of the sale.
Go big online
Afterpay Day Sale goes live on March 18 at 8am, and Wagner suggests promoting participation as clearly as possible online. “A lot of our merchants will ensure that Afterpay Day goes across all their channels,” says Wagner, who adds that some merchants opt for homepage takeovers or website pop-ups while others send dedicated emails or create social media posts announcing the promotion.
Don’t forget in-store merchandising
Afterpay has created a range of visual merchandising assets that retailers can download and print, from window decals to posters, to signal they’re taking part in the sale. Wagner points out that while many shopping malls will be filled with digital screens promoting the sale, it’s important for consumers to easily recognise which retailers are participating. This is where strong visual merchandising comes in. In the past, says Wagner, some retailers have used floor decals and shelf wobblers throughout their stores to promote the sale. “It’s really important that there are reminders at the point of sale as well,” she says.
Train your staff
Do your staff know how to check out with Afterpay? Now is the time, in the lead-up to Afterpay Day, to make sure that they understand the offer and are familiar with how to process Afterpay purchases, advises Wagner.

For more information on Afterpay Day click here.

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