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Strategies to Raise Holiday Sales

One of our readers wrote this article on how business owners can attract holiday sales:

Title: Retail sales jump 1.2%, pushing hope for the holiday season plus 5 simple strategies to raise your sales.



The Commerce Department announced that October '10 sales for the retail industry jumped 1.2 percent from the previous month, the greatest gain since March. The increase was driven by a 5 pct spike in auto sales, which analysts said was particularly encouraging as it showed consumers were ready to tackle big-ticket purchases. Moreover, September's sales gain was revised upward coming from a 0.6 percent increase to 0.7 percent.



Still, consumers remained choosy about where they spent their dollars. Furniture stores and electronics retailers each suffered a 0.7 percent drop in sales. Mall sales also declined 0.7 percent, while health-care stores dipped 0.1 percent.



Instead, people returned to restaurants and bars, sending sales up 0. 3 %. On-line retailers, that have held up better than their bricks-and-mortar counterparts, registered a 0.8 percent jump. Shoppers also bought more clothing, a 0.7 percent increase.



Excluding autos, retail sales rose a good 0.4 percent, despite the mixed performance across sectors. Retailers hope that the momentum will fuel the all-important winter holiday.



According to a survey by the National Retail Federation, a market trade group, nearly 11 percent of consumers have finished the majority of the holiday shopping, up from just over 9 percent a year ago. The group predicted shopper's average spending would inch approximately $688.87 in 2010, a 1 percent increase over this past year.



The NRF's annual holiday survey found more and more shoppers are expected to purchase gifts for family and friends - and also themselves. The quantity of consumers who said they planned to indulge themselves rose eight percentage points to 57 percent in 2010.



The forecasts, as well as the new October data, paint an image of consumers treading carefully on their way to the mall. Economists say that spending is unlikely to rebound with out a corresponding improvement inside the job market.



The unemployment rate remains stuck at nearly 10 percent, data released from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed hope. Mass layoffs have declined in proportions and frequency. And private-sector employment rose 0. 3 % in the third quarter, compared with last year, the 1st increase since 2008.



How will you increase add-on sales through the Holidays?



Here are some methods to raise the units per transaction, and improve the average transaction as a result.



If you like this, you should buy that - Creating feature areas in your store who have several major stuff you want to push for holiday encompassed by complimentary products helps sell more than just that particular item. Use signage and have your employees connect to customers to assist them to understand how the items come together.



Stuff the Stockings - I continue to push stocking stuffers for holiday as customers will always be searching for those unique, fun little items that round out their holiday gift giving without breaking the bank. Create a complete stocking stuffer display to make it interactive, as being a stocking stuffer smorgasbord to get customers to get more than one additional items.



Sample products - If they check it out, they'll buy it. Make sure you've products designed for testing everywhere and use signage, or have your employees interact to get customers to attempt different products. The opportunity for a sale rises significantly if you can position the product within the customer's hand.



A warm drink will be the approach to make them stay - offering a warm beverage like coffee or apple cider gets customers to linger longer. It provides them time to scope out much more of your store as they walk around enjoying their beverage. And that means they will often find more gifts than that they planned on, leading to increased sales.



Wrap the Cash Wrap - You've made a a few different ways inside your store to have your clients to buy more, and the cash wrap is the final opportunity. Make sure you have impulse items at your cash wrap that customers can grab and go. Products under $20 usually perform best. Bonuses for products that might be sampled along with 8-10 of which available for purchase.



And you? What are your favourite sales techniques to increase Holiday sales?



About the Author: Cornelia Ortega is writing for the retail sales training program blog, her personal hobby blog devoted to recommendations to assist retailers to teach sales employees and keep our economy healthy.

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