Debra Jamieson, sales & marketing director at UK POS, explains how shopkeepers can make the most out of Halloween.
Year after year figures suggest that retailers should embrace holidays such as Halloween and Bonfire Night in a similar way to Christmas, as they are becoming increasingly important in this economic climate. Leading retailers report sales worth more than £50m at Halloween.
Dedicated seasonal aisles and promotional items have become a permanent fixture in stores, and Halloween is one of the most eagerly awaited dates.
In an environment where it is increasingly difficult to generate sales, seasonal promotions are proving to be a successful way to encourage people to spend money on pumpkins, fancy dress and items such as confectionery.
Retailers now understand that customers want to take advantage of offers all year round, so the strategy in place remains the same throughout the various seasons. To support the industry, it is the job of point of sale (POS) professionals to make sure the solutions on offer are relevant, in terms of style and price, and will ultimately meet the client’s objectives of drawing customers in.
Here are some tips to make sure you’ve covered the basics for Halloween later this month:
Get inside your customer’s head
Understanding your clientele is fundamental to your store’s success and is something to bear in mind when promoting special offers through POS. The other factor to consider is the style of POS items used to promote such offers. If stores are higher-end, they should go for a better quality of POS materials. Wooden framed display cards with chalkboard inserts or flex pavement holders are an excellent option. Stores that drive sales through offers should use cost-effective alternatives such as plastic framed display cards or reusable adhesive ticket holders where offers can quickly and easily be changed.
Think about how your store looks to a customer
POS positioning is just as important as the special offer it promotes, so make the most out of available space, both inside and out. Maximise the use of sections of the store by using Halloween poster holders and ceiling danglers at the entrance, merchandising strips, show cards and shelf talkers down the dedicated aisle and branded impulse bins at the checkouts. They are perfect for Halloween confectionary, for example.
Don’t forget the importance of your shop window
Window merchandising on the high street is an extremely important part of a customer’s shopping experience and allows retailers to demonstrate their creativity, especially at Halloween. The obvious forms of POS ideal for such displays include window poster holders.
There’s nothing worse than tired looking POS
Nothing is more off-putting than seeing a poster put up by sticky tape or an old worn and torn ‘A’ board sitting outside the front of a store looking unloved. POS should look clean, streamlined and professionally consistent to draw customers in. This can easily be achieved by investing in new POS materials and print.
You know how the saying goes: first impressions count, so make the most of your store’s appearance.
