You’ve finished your Thanksgiving feast, watched all the football games, and are getting ready for the next holiday activity: Black Friday shopping. Black Friday sales are as much of a Thanksgiving tradition as the Macy’s Day Parade. So it’s no surprise that stores around the country need to make the day as smooth as possible.
Because Black Friday is arguably the biggest shopping day of the year, staff and sales departments need to be prepared. And it’s a lot more than mental preparation—although that’s an important part too; Black Friday can get pretty hectic. Here are five ways to help your sales teams prepare for Black Friday this year.
- Start planning ahead. If you know that your business will be participating in Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales, act now. Holiday shopping is a big deal for most people, and understandably, they want to get an early jump on it. In 2016, more than half of shoppers began researching purchases in October or earlier—so start planning your sales strategy as soon as possible.
- Prep your website. With online shopping becoming a way of life, you shouldn’t take your website for granted. Visitors should be able to easily navigate and view products and business hours. Make it easy to purchase gift cards, because 64 percent of holiday shoppers purchased at least one gift card in 2016. And if you haven’t yet made the mobile leap, you need to do so ASAP. Last year, 56 percent of searches during the holiday season were done on a smartphone or tablet.
- Gain insight from last year. If your company advertised Black Friday sales last year, this is a great place to start. Look at your analytics and see what worked and what didn’t work, and make changes based on that. You can also get an idea of how your marketing efforts around the holiday season have performed in the past, allowing you to tap in to the targeting that will really motivate your customers. Â
- Offer unique discounts. There are a plethora of companies participating in Black Friday every year, so normal sales and discounts just aren’t going to cut it. To stay competitive, consider bonus discounts, promo codes, or free shipping—47 percent of consumers said free shipping was one of the most important factors for them during the holiday season. Buy Online and Pick Up in Store (BOPUS) options are also becoming extremely common in retail.
- Make sure your team is up to the challenge. Black Friday is a big deal in the retail world, and it can be especially intimidating for your staff. To make sure your workers are ready for the chaos and expectations of Black Friday, try mystery shopping. You’ll be able to get an unbiased look into how your team performs when you’re not there, allowing you to make important decisions to improve customer service and your team’s performance.
Black Friday can be an exciting time for retail businesses, and nothing’s more important than knowing you’re as prepared as possible. That’s where Mystery Shopping Service comes in. We can send our experienced shoppers into your business to make sure that everything is up to snuff for the holiday shopping season. Learn how you can get a free shop today!
Sources:
https://nrf.com/resources/retail-library/2016-retail-holiday-planning-playbook
https://nrf.com/resources/retail-library/2017-retail-holiday-planning-playbook