And so it begins… the shopping malls are bellowing the time-old festive season tracks, decorations are up and that general rush for the finish-line feeling is starting to kick in. 

As a business owner, how can you best prepare to gain the most from it? 

START BY GIVING 

This is an opportune time to kick off a loyalty rewards program. Over 75% of South African consumers make use of loyalty programmes. They are a great way to attract new customers, keep your current customers engaged and to drive sales. Customers who belong to loyalty programmes tend to spend more per purchase. We’ve just launched humble Loyalty, which gives you an affordable way to run your own customised loyalty program, we’ll share more about this at the end of the article.

USE YOUR DATA

Looking at what has happened in the past is a great indicator of what’s to come. If you are new to business, then do ask around and do some research. Understanding what is most popular with your customers over the busy season, will make sure that you’re stocked up to meet their demands and not lose out on sales. Look at current consumer trends and how they impact your business, and be prepared for these.

POWER UP YOUR TEAM

If you’re operating over the festive period, remember to get your team behind you. Make sure that they understand what is expected of them when it comes to after hours or additional role requirements. Incentives and rewards really do go a long way, provided the business can support this. A practical example can be rewarding your team with additional leave days once the silly season is over.

GET SOCIAL 

“Social is the new shop window — the place that consumers browse to find ideas and inspiration.” — Deloitte Retail Trends 2019.

Running online marketing campaigns and offering well-priced specials leading up to the festive season will bring your customers into the sales funnel early on, so when they’re ready to buy, they’ll be coming to you. Competitions are also a strategic way of gathering the data needed to target new customers and keep your current customers coming back. When getting social, make sure that your staff are aware of what’s happening online so that they know what’s expected of them.  

IMMERSE YOURSELF

For those consumers that don’t go away over the festive period, shopping in-store becomes an outing. Dress your store up to make it is enticing enough for them to want to come and explore. Offer customers an immersive experience from the moment they walk in, to the moment they leave. Run special events for the family, add some ambience and remember those in-store specials. 

It’s not just about the products you sell it’s about how customers feel engaging with your brand. 

Interested in learning more about how humble can help you grow your business over this silly season?

humble Loyalty is a simple and affordable way to run a customised loyalty rewards program. It is cloud based and works across multiple platforms and devices. Your customers can keep track of the loyalty earned, spent and any promotions directly through the loyalty application, removing the high costs associated with managing and printing physical cards. 
To enjoy a free trial, simply click sign-up online using the following link or email us on sales@humbletill.com