4 Easy In Store Gift Card Strategies to Capture Sales During the Holiday Rush
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! It’s that special time when all of the news outlets spread that news that gift cards are the most requested gift for the holidays! For the 13th year in a row!
Black Friday is just a few weeks away which means the holiday shopping rush is right around the corner. It may seem as though it’s too late to implement any new strategies for the upcoming holiday season. However, thanks to the flexibility of physical gift cards, it’s possible for retailers to create unique gift card merchandising and promotional opportunities to drive holiday sales.
When many retailers think of ways to use gift cards for holiday promotions, they think of either custom displays, seasonal packaging,or defined strategic promotions such as BOGO or bounce-back offers which can be confusing, overwhelming, and maybe not even possible to implement with a shortened timeline. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be that complicated!
Below are four, easy to implement, ways retailers can promote gift cards that don’t require much time or budget.
Have gift cards all throughout the store.
Having gift cards be accessible at the checkout is a foundational merchandising strategy, especially during the holiday rush. But, gift cards don’t just have to live at the checkout counter! Think about the layout of your store—are there end caps that could hold some gift cards? Could you add gift card holders to the top clothing racks? During the holidays, gift cards should be the easiest to find items in the store.
Train employees on the benefits of gift cards.
Gift cards can help reduce common holiday pain points such as losing a sale to an out of stock items or taking the guesswork out of gifting if a consumer doesn’t know the gift recipients size or favorite color. Remind employees about these benefits to help improve the customer experience.
Place small, giftable merchandise next to the gift cards.
Many consumers shopping for gifts want to create an experience. Instead of simply purchasing a gift card, many gifters will buy a gift card along with small items such as accessories, small boxes of treats, or even a bottle of wine. Think about what items in the store that can be easily gifted and place some next to the gift cards—this can be at both the checkout and the store. Make it easy for the consumer to see the items as one full gift and you will create an exceptionally easy gifting opportunity.
Instruct employees to mention gift cards at checkout.
Asking customers a question as simple as “did you need any gift cards today” can prompt the last minute decision to get a gift card. During the holiday rush, customers are tired and it’s imperative that you take advantage of any time they spend in the store as well a way you can make holiday shopping easier for your customers. By asking something as simple as “did you need any gift cards today” can increase sales and improve customer satisfaction.
How are you preparing for the holiday rush? Let us know!