8 ways to increase footfall - and drive more in-store sales – this festive season
Stand out this holiday season and attract more in-store customers
The holiday season is a time for festive goodwill and family get-togethers – and, for retailers, it’s also a great chance to bring in more sales and maximise your profits.
Planning how you’re going to take best advantage of this window of opportunity requires a little effort, but it can prove invaluable for your end-of-year figures.
Why in-store matters
Driving more customers in-store is important to both brick-and-mortar retailers and omnichannel brands.
Throughout the festive season, it’s estimated that around 50-60 per cent of shoppers will purchase gifts in-store – and that proportion rises as Christmas draws closer. Why? Because customers who leave their shopping to the last minute want to ensure they receive their purchases in time for Christmas, and many are prepared to head in-store, rather than put their trust in the post system, to pick up their gifts.
Driving customers in-store is especially important for small and local businesses, which are likely to attract a greater proportion of in-store shoppers.
But even omnichannel brands can benefit by focusing on increasing footfall; after all, studies have repeatedly shown that the more channels a customer uses, the more loyal they are to the brand.
Here are a few easy ways to usher in more customers, not to mention that Christmas cheer…
How to reach more customers – and drive them in-store
Start early
Just a decade ago, most Christmas spending happened in early to mid-December.
These days, holiday trading starts sooner than ever, kicking off in early November as Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) become key dates on the retail calendar.
In fact, Afterpay’s 2022 Festive Forecast found that two-thirds of shoppers will purchase gifts before BFCM.
“November is now at least as big a month as December, with Black Friday sales driving early shopping behaviour,” says Simon Burrett of Retail Roustabout. “Preparing deals and operational plans for November like we used to do for Boxing Day is the new normal.”
This also means stealing a march on recruitment of temporary staff. With many businesses already struggling to get enough people to fill shifts, recruitment of Christmas casuals will be more challenging this year. Customer service is a critical part of an in-store sales strategy and retailers need to plan well in advance to ensure they have enough staff to cope with the Christmas rush. See more tips on festive recruitment.
“November is now at least as big a month as December, with Black Friday sales driving early shopping behaviour.”
Work those windows
An attention-grabbing window display can convert a passerby into a potential customer, and during the festive season they need to work even harder to catch the eye of shoppers and entice them through the door. A little imagination can go far when it comes to telling the festive story of your brand.
Phoebe Simmonds is co-founder of pregnancy, birth and new parenthood store The Memo in Melbourne’s Armadale.
“We use our windows as billboards to make strong brand statements. We flip [visual merchandise] once or twice per month, and more over the Christmas period. This is important because it’s common for a customer to visit our store a few times over this period, so we like to keep it fresh and exciting for them to discover new things.”
Think ‘Stop, look, enter’. Activate store windows with a customised, on brand, clever and eye-catching display, and think hard about the area that lies just beyond the window, too.
Dive into your data
The best way to identify what will attract customers in store is to look closely at what motivates them.
Are your customers driven by discounts? (In which case, think about which promotions you can offer.) Or do they shop with you because they love your store’s personal touch? (In which case, free gift-wrapping or engraving may be the way to entice them in-store.)
Afterpay has crunched the data and identified a range of festive shopping personas. Match your customers to Afterpay’s personas – and discover what will draw them in-store here.
Try a breadcrumb strategy
Taking its name from the well-known fairytale, The Gingerbread Man, the breadcrumb strategy involves using social media and digital channels to promote in-store happenings.
For example, you could use social media and e-newsletters to let customers know you’re on sale or offering advent-style daily deals. A few days later, you might consider emphasising the urgency of the offer by to encourage them to stop by in-store soon.
“The key to this strategy is ensuring that your messaging across online and in-store marketing is consistent and tells a story that is aligned with your brand and the messaging you’re trying to get across,” says Afterpay’s APAC retail experience lead Caroline Stensved.
Set up a social sweet spot
Creating an Instagrammable retail space is another way to attract shoppers, as customers will snap photos and post them to social media – where they will reach a whole new audience of potential customers.
“To make Instagram spots successful, they need to stand out, be well lit and easy to access, and include your store’s logo or hashtag,” says Marguerite Bell, the managing director of Retail Life. “Promote it across your own social channels to drive customers into the store and keep it updated and refreshed. You may also consider offering incentives for customers to engage with the spot to encourage social sharing and build excitement for gift ideas and new products.”
Consider events
A well-planned and executed store event or activation can drive foot traffic, increase store sales, enhance customer engagement, and create memorable shopping experiences.
Even if you can’t recreate Santa’s grotto, you can still use event-style tips and tricks to create a festive atmosphere and provide some reciprocal good will. Mini-giveaways of individually wrapped biscuits or lollies and secret Santa gifts will be a hit with kids, and a free gift-wrapping station will be a relief for time-pressed parents.
“The holiday trading period is very heavy with promotional activity,” says Simmonds. “Customers are trained to look for this now, but even more valuable is delivering a superior experience that makes life easier, such as a clear, well-presented assortment targeted to their needs, speedy delivery, or a beautiful gift-wrapping service.
“Determine your goals and your budget, plan your event and prepare your marketing with social posts, in-store signage, invitations and special offers, says Bell. “In-store events and giveaways are also a great way for retailers to create a sense of community, drive brand loyalty and set you apart from the competition.”
Leverage click and collect
Click and collect is convenient and cost-effective option for time-poor Christmas shoppers, and it can also be a boon for the retailer as it drives people into physical stores and encourages impulse purchases at pick-up.
"Be strategic with displays close to click and collect pick-up areas to entice customers to purchase additional items.”
“Create an easy to see and access click and collect pick up area in-store,” advises Bell. “Train staff to be familiar with click and collect orders, so they are ready to talk to customers about their purchases, and lead the conversation to add-ons or even to new lines. Be strategic with displays close to click and collect pick-up areas to entice customers to purchase additional items.”
Once customers are in store...
Stay up to speed
To drive traffic both new and repeat, a store needs to feel fresh and updated with regular new merchandise offers and displays rotated to keep things new and interesting. Re-filling shelves and rotating colours will help promote lines that are in-stock and ready for customers to buy. Hot spot areas such as counters need merchandising daily to keep them full, well-presented and optimise sales performance.
“In the super-competitive, super-fast omnichannel shopping frenzy that is the Christmas period, the critical element is to read the play, every day,” says Burrett
“Leverage data and lean on trusted partnerships to analyse what customers are searching, browsing and shopping at every stage of the festive season — and be ready to make adjustments to the plan in real time.”
Offer a staff refresher
Training is key to always delivering outstanding customer service, and particularly in the busy Christmas trade times. Bell suggests holding November refresher training sessions on topics such as loyalty programs, refund and exchange policies, click and collect, delivery and gift receipts.
“It’s important to know how to effectively serve more than one customer at a time during busy periods, and make sure staff product knowledge is up to date with best sellers, new lines and Kris Kringle suggestions.
“Running sales games and challenges along with staff incentives is a good way to keep the team motivated and promote a sense of fun, while staying focused on maximising store sales during the Christmas period.”
Update Google Business
Google Business profiles play an important part in creating digital footprints particularly for small, independent retailers. In addition, they provide a channel to share photos, campaigns, customer reviews and most importantly essential information such as store address, phone number and changing trading hours.
“This is critical with varied trading hours in the lead-up to and over the Christmas / New Year trading period,” says Bell. “Google Business should be viewed by retailers as an additional channel with which to market their business, that is free, and an important tool to utilise and capitalise on."
How Afterpay can help you drive in-store sales
Remember that Afterpay can help close a sale. If a customer is struggling to decide between two items, there is an opportunity to use Afterpay as a sales tool. For example, sales staff could say: “Just letting you know that we do offer Afterpay in-store if that’s helpful. That would mean you’d pay the first quarter today and the rest over four weeks.”
Get the design right
Good store design will help customers navigate your store and provide a pleasant place to dwell. It’s often likened to having an extra member of staff, who can hold the fort when the others are busy.
Adrian Black, managing director of retail store design experts Black Line Group, says stores should be well-lit and merchandised. “Have a point of difference, be it price, promotion, product or experience. Give customers a reason to enter.”
Festive specials or beautiful gifting tables could be placed near the door to attract passerbys, but staff should be on hand to upsell, cross-sell or point customers in the direction of products.
Set the tone
Consider extra touches like music, which can help set a festive tone, or festive scents which can create an instant emotional connection.
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