Today I am repeating an idea from two years ago because it’s time.
Christmas in July is growing in popularity in retail businesses. It can provide a good retail focus and sales kick in between major seasons. It is an opportunity to move stock while having fun with Christmas out of season.
Christmas in July is an excellent opportunity for newsagencies.
A couple of years ago we moved in excess of $2,000 in boxed Christmas cards at a 75% margin. Our Christmas boxed cards later in the year were stronger than ever so the July promotion did not pull forward sales.
A Christmas in July promotion could be as simple as a sale based around the season or it could be a fully integrated campaign covering the whole of the business.
Christmas in July is a particularly useful campaign if you sell items which would help with celebrations in the home or if you sell items which work as Christmas gifts. While the opportunity is promoted as Christmas in July, it is a chance to get some early Christmas sales happening – ahead of most other retailers.
Check with your local council or business association as to what they have on – more and more are running Christmas in July events. be sure to check with charities too. A quick search online shows plenty do. Talk to suppliers to see whether they have anything which could help you embrace the opportunity.
Remember, the real focus of a Christmas in July promotion is to increase sales. Every move made as part of the campaign must progress this opportunity.
- Run the Christmas in July campaign over no more than two weeks in July. One week could be enough.
- Choose dates which are away from any other promotion – it works best with little competition.
- Get all employees together, seek their ideas and explain the value of the season you are creating.
- Set aside a defined space in-store for promoting stock connection with the season.
- Dress the team and the store to suit the Christmas theme.
- Display any spare Christmas stock from last year.
- Play Christmas music.
- Choose a day for an extra special celebration and make this an all-out focus.
- Have a competition for the kids around the theme. This could be a coloring competition – offer to display their works of art as parents and family will visit to see.
- Create a giant Christmas stocking which one lucky customer can win.
- Use the event to discount slow moving items – try and create a real sense of bargains.
- Promote the event using a flyer to houses around your location – it is a great way to draw people into your shop. On the flyer, promote the activities and any specials.
- Call the local paper and get their attention.
Christmas in July is an excellent opportunity to get suppliers on board. Maybe they could provide products for you to give away as gifts – I.E. every shopper gets spending over $10 a ‘Christmas’ gift. Suppliers could use your promotion as an ideal time for trialling products and getting your customers engaged.
Events like Christmas in July are all about giving people a reason to visit your newsagency. Making the event fun and relevant to the season (winter) should make it a winner for you.