Practical Tips for Small Shop Owners: Preparing for Q4
It's no secret that the last quarter of the year is a busy time of year for the retail industry, and early preparation and strategic planning are key to your business’ success!
It’s never too early to start planning for the rush of the holiday season. Read on for a few practical tips to take into consideration as you prepare for the months ahead:
Staff Up Now
The holiday shopping season is the busiest time of year in the retail world, meaning it is likely inevitable that your small shop will need to hire additional staff to handle the uptick in foot traffic and sales. If you anticipate needing extra help, don’t wait until the last minute. Onboarding new team members now, weeks ahead of the holiday rush, will allow your new staff to have ample time to learn about your store, the products you sell, and your customer service expectations. By the time the holiday season really ramps up, they’ll be fully comfortable in their role and ready to excel.
Make a Decor Plan
Twinkling lights and festive decorations add to the magic of the holiday shopping season! If your small shop is located at a Centennial property, then you already know there is a festive ambiance that goes into making the holiday shopping season special, and that keeps our shoppers coming back year after year to complete their gifting. Join in the fun with your own holiday-themed in-store decor and window displays. It’s all about creating an experience for your shoppers that they can’t get anywhere else.
Create Your Promotional Calendar
When it comes to predictions for the 2022 holiday shopping season, retail industry experts are anticipating that shoppers will buy even earlier than last year. With this in mind, now is the time to plan out your week by week promotional calendar for the quarter. This also means that you won’t want to wait until Black Friday to start your holiday marketing. Expect to see early-bird shoppers on the hunt for deals even before Halloween! Before the rush kicks in, take the time now to map out your promotional calendar, starting with the early-bird shopping deals in October, to November’s Small Business Saturday, and the last minute rush that happens in December.