by Heather Skelly

Savvy Marketing Can Shift Holiday Sales into High Gear

Photo courtesy Views and Reviews, Retail Reporting, New York, N.Y.

At Birks, in Montreal, eggs are used with jewelry to create an Easter gift theme in a display area. Some of the eggs feature the store’s logo on them. Lighting is carefully used to highlight specific pieces of jewelry.

The gift-giving holidays provide artists and retailers numerous opportunities throughout the year to sell their merchandise at higher volumes. Most of these holidays have become so commercialized that artists and retailers depend on them to give sales a boost.

According to the National Retail Federation, the world’s largest retail trade association, consumers shopping in 2001 planned to spend a median of $50 on Valentine’s Day gifts, and an average of $62 and $52 on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day gifts, respectively. To cash in on seasonal spending, artists and retailers should consider using a few of these clever marketing techniques.

Seasonal displays

“If someone is thinking about buying a gift for a certain occasion, [and learns about] a resource fulfilling that need, then they will go to that resource,” says sales and marketing consultant Alan J. Zell.

One of the most visible ways of showing your customers that you can fulfill their needs is through a display. Whether it’s a booth display, in-store display or window display, the proper setup and signage will tell your customers that you have what they are looking for.

As with in-store and window displays, artists should consider show booths as mini galleries, and create small display areas within. When selling to retail customers, consider the timing of the show and coordinate one of your displays to the nearest holiday. In “Booth Basics,” an article for New Jersey’s Atlantic Highlands Herald by Gloria Benaroch Garland, the crafts columnist suggests using different fabrics, scents, sounds and lighting to highlight the display area in the booth. Then, fill that area with unique gifts that are clearly tagged and, if possible, represent a price point in line with consumer spending. Don’t be afraid to consider including gifts that aren’t “traditional” to the holiday (how many more ties does Dad need?); on your hangtags, suggest potential uses for the items.

In addition to the products, signage can really entice a customer to buy. If you’re discounting the seasonal items, put that on a nicely printed sign, along with the theme of the display — “Mother’s Day gifts, all 20 percent off.” Or you can be a little more creative. Garland writes of having seen a unique sign recently, “Your husband called and said you could spend as much as you want.”

For in-store and window displays, the above techniques are equally effective. If you have an extra room in your retail space, consider making the entire room a seasonal display area. Add more signs in the store that direct customers to this area. For window displays, you may be able to find or make some unique holiday props, such as giant eggs for Easter or cardboard hearts and chocolates for Valentine’s Day. Pair the props with spot lighting, merchandise and a few simple sale signs to inspire shoppers to come your way.

Direct mail and advertising

If you’re not in a high-traffic area, such as a mall, or at a craft show, or if you don’t have retail space, then using direct mail and advertising can be an effective way to reach customers. Cheryl Cohen, a New Mexico-based artist, uses postcards to remind her customers of upcoming holidays. “Promotional cards are a great way to market and promote [holiday] products,” says Cohen. “I market to buyers four months ahead, to give them plenty of time to cash in on holiday sales.”

Amy Peters, of Amy Peters’ Studio in California, says she has had great success sending out postcards, and adds quarterly newsletters to the mix, as well.

Amy Peters mails postcards featuring her work on the front and a special holiday promotion on the back.

In addition, experts recommend using your postcard as a discount coupon. Include copy that tells customers that the postcard entitles them to a holiday discount. Ask them to bring it with them to the store or to your booth at the time of purchase to receive the discount, and you’ll have the added bonus of being able to track the success of your campaign.

If your budget will allow it, a print ad or radio spot can be another effective way to boost holiday sales. In “Marketing 101: The Secrets to Running a Successful Sale,” an article on Inc.com (the Web site for Inc. magazine), marketing consultant Bob Nelson writes that newspaper and radio ads are particularly effective because you can offer hard-hitting messages in a small amount of copy, and change them with short notice.

Hold a sale to boost holiday sales

“A successful [sale] is the fastest and easiest way you can boost your sales, win customers back, and raise a large sum of money (from your current inventory) in a short period of time,” writes Nelson. He recommends following these steps to ensure a profitable sale:

• Proper timing. October through January are considered excellent months to host sales, followed by February through May, and September. Because of peak travel times, unless you are in a summer tourist area, avoid sales June through August; you’re less likely to earn back outlaid cash.
• Acquire customers. Make sure your mailing lists are up to date, or consider buying a list from a list broker. In addition, ask each customer to fill out a card so you can consistently add names to your list.
• Merchandise pricing. “If the majority of your merchandise is current and in-season,” writes Nelson, “… your stock needs to be marked down no more than 25 percent to 30 percent.” He suggests that anything five to seven months old be marked down 30 percent to 50 percent, and anything seven months old or more be marked down 50 percent to 70 percent.
• Direct mail and advertising. As mentioned above, these can be cost-effective and flexible ways of boosting sales.
• High-impact signage. “The more signs you use, the more your store will appear different and attract new customers,” writes Nelson. Create neatly printed signs that are attention-getting and to the point.
• Merchandising techniques. “Throughout the sale, it is important that customers don’t think that the ‘best’ items have all been sold,” writes Nelson. He recommends changing displays and markdowns during the duration of the sale if there seems to be little interest in a particular line or area.
  In addition, make sure all items are within the customer’s reach, and are clearly marked with one price.
• Inventory recommendations. “Keep in mind, the first day [of your sale] will have the largest customer impact,” writes Nelson, “… so be sure your store is fully stocked for the opening.” Again, as merchandise is sold, keep display areas looking full and shift items around as needed for maximum sales potential.

Don’t drop the ball

No matter what methods you use to promote your work for holiday sales, it’s important that any promises you make through direct mail, advertising, signage, etc., be fulfilled. Don’t advertise a “week-long, blowout, holiday sale,” then run out of merchandise in a few hours. You may think it was successful because you sold out, but you’ve promised a week of savings and may have disappointed potential customers. Make sure your inventory can stand up to a week of boosted sales.

In addition, keep your eye on your merchandise and displays. If something isn’t selling, or your display just isn’t
drawing a crowd, change it. Offering the discount or incentive is just the first step in getting the sale; plan to follow any method through to the end … you’ll reap the benefits later.