18 | PET GAZETTE | CHRISTMAS
SANTA ' S LITTLE HELPERS
ill bells ring , are you listening ?
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The festive season is almost upon us and it ’ s time to prepare for the busiest holiday of the year . According to the BDO ' s High Street Sales Tracker , the week leading up to Christmas Day 2016 saw sales rise by 11.7 percent from 2015 . So get out the elf ears and start making preparations for your store .
Retail consultant Karl McKeever is an expert in improving the shopper experience . He uses visual merchandising to boost retailers ’ commercial performance all year round . This issue , he tells Pet Gazette why retailers should plan ahead to make the most of the busy festive season .
When does the key Christmas shopping period begin ?
“ Typically , the main shopping period in run up to Christmas is about 12 weeks , from the end of September or beginning of October , when the biggest stores start to change their instore layouts . Retailers who have a smaller footprint and are possibly more specialist are more likely to be thinking of Christmas sales from the beginning of November and certainly no later than the middle of November .”
What steps can retailers take to draw festive shoppers into store ?
“ All stores complete at Christmas to catch passing trade . The ones that stand out are either really going to town with a lavish window display or are doing something that ’ s modest but different and gets people thinking , stopping and looking . It ’ s about trying to grab attention and create a point of difference from other stores in the same category .”
How should retailers position festive displays and offers for maximum effect ?
“ It varies , but certainly for most retailers there ’ s a desire to create a connection between what people see on the street and what they find instore . As a retailer , you should be trying to create a chain reaction , so people see the store from outside and that brings them in . Then , when they come inside and start to orientate themselves , they see the layering effect of different elements of Christmas around the store .
“ Continuity is certainly important and the same theme needs to be applied at various touchpoints . One of the most important places is about 5m from the door , for shoppers to see as they cross the threshold . This is typically a pause point or something that can be used to drive a key promotional message . Retailers could place items at a high level to create a bit of décor or add some navigational signage which takes people to merchandise in specific areas .
“ Some retailers might pull various products together into one area to create a Christmas shop . Others may prefer to keep their standard layout but to flag up Christmas-related goods on the fixtures themselves . There ’ s rarely a ‘ one size fits all ’ solution but I ’ d say that retailers should make it obvious where shoppers can find products . The best locations will be the most visible areas , either at the end of fixtures or with strong sidelines , where the products themselves
can be focal points and act as people magnets to bring customers through the store .”
How can small retailers make a big splash ?
“ Big retailers might rely on massive amounts of spending in print or broadcast media . For a small retailer who has less cash to splash around , it ’ s important to think wisely , plan ahead and really get the best out of your budget . It ’ s not just about putting things in the window , it ' s about delivering a seamless , integrated Christmas message across all touchpoints . From what ’ s on the homepage of your website and the communication that lands into email inboxes , too . Think of a theme so you have a unified , overarching idea and can create a marketing message for the season . This message can have two or three phases and can tap different buying cycles . So , from a pet owners ’ perspective , you might be able to get people to consider food in bulk earlier on in the buying cycle . Or , if owners are going to be travelling with their pets to relatives ’ houses over Christmas think about how you can sell products to help the pet travel better and to make sure they ’ re comfortable and settled upon arrival . It ’ s important to think about what ’ s going on in shoppers ’ lives over the festive period , not just about Christmas Day itself . Retailers who are focused and organised will maximise opportunities .”
To learn more about Karl ’ s work , visit www . visualthinking . co . uk or email karl @ visualthinking . co . uk
www . petgazette . biz August 2017