Retail tends to slow down during the summer months, but stores are starting to prep for the upcoming holiday season. In fact, more than three-quarters of retailers have already started putting out their first holiday promotional content. About 20 percent of retail revenues come through during that time – about $658 billion last year. According to Marketing Land, now is the time retailers should start checking a few boxes on their list.
First, make sure your website is ready. In today’s digital world, retail needs more than good content although that is important for the viewer experience. But, your websites must be ready for the rise in mobile volume.
Also, check your inventories and decide what you need to meet consumer expectations. Holiday shopping increases every year. For example, 2016 spending increased by more than four percent compared to 2015. Summer is the time to begin stocking up on inventory, especially those items that are expected to be hot sellers this year.
Make sure you have enough workers on staff to accommodate the increased demands for service.As customer traffic grows so will the demand for service representatives standing by to handle customers’ needs and answer questions. You will need either more staff on hand or defer to third party outsourcing.
Finally, prepare for the rising demand in holiday deliveries. Getting Christmas gifts delivered on-time is important to a brand’s reputation and impacts the company’s reliability. Since unforeseen circumstances can affect delivery times, retailers should prepare for this. Also, use reliable information verification tech to minimize simple errors like a wrong address or ZIP.
