Retail Selling Tip of the Week

Tip #427 - Understand Your Christmas Customer

Dear Tip of the Weeker,

If you missed the email we sent yesterday, you should go check out the funny video Bob made about auctioning off his "travel buddy" - the Retail Mastery System that has been his constant companion on over 90 trips to cities across North America.

We're taking auction bids on the blog until midnight on 10-10-10 (Bob's birthday!) The winner gets Bob's Retail Mastery System PLUS the full amount of their winning bid will be donated to the charity of their choice. It's a win-win!

Today's Tip is an excerpt from the Christmas University class Susan presented earlier this week...
 
As you are setting up your store for Christmas, keep in mind that your "Christmas customer" is probably different from your day-to-day customer. The difference may be subtle, but it's important!

Your day-to-day customer is likely to be someone who knows, understands, enjoys, and uses the merchandise you sell. 

Your Christmas customer isn't usually the "end-user", they are a gift-giver!

Display and sign your merchandise to make the experience super easy for your Christmas customer to find the gift they are looking for.  Put yourself in their shoes.  Think like they think.

Here's what might be going on in their heads...

• "I need a gift for my wife - and it had better be a good one."
   
• "I need to get something for my son's teacher and I only want to spend $10."
   
• "I need a gift for Uncle Jim, but I have NO idea what he likes AND the family limit is $20".
   
• "I want to get a great outfit for my teen-aged daughter and I used to know what she likes, but I'm not sure anymore..."
   
• "I need a stocking stuffer for my Mom."

Christmas customers are shopping with a specific problem to solve. Make the solution apparent in your visual merchandising and you've made the sale!

Bob and Susan Negen

WhizBang! Training
Phone: 616-842-4237
Fax: 616-842-2977
Email: bob@whizbangtraining.com
233 Washington Ave. #213
Grand Haven, MI 49417