Seasonal Sale & Merchandising: Build Stories that Sell

Every season brings its own natural increase in traffic and sales. Q4 is an easy one to talk about because we are all thinking about holiday gifts. But what about Spring and Summer? What dates can you take advantage of?

And we don’t mean a day to discount, as this may be training your consumer to wait for a deal. For more about this, take a peek at our article about discounts leading you into a pricing compression trap.

We are diving into the power of seasonal promotions paired with merchandising.

One Door's survey shows that 86% of retailers agree there is a direct correlation between well-executed merchandising and conversion rates. This makes seasonal promotions all the more valuable.

Increase Retail Sales with Bundling to show gift and experience ideas

Seasonal promotions are a perfect chance to encourage bundled shopping, gifting, and overall improve sales and product velocity, and an opportunity to build brand loyalty and experience.

The goal of supporting seasonal promotions with visual merchandising is to highlight new products, boost holiday promotions, and create healthy inventory turnover to generate more revenue. It's not just about making the store "look nice."

For spring and merchandising, consider the needs of consumers and suggest opportunities they may not relate initially to cannabis. 420 is easy, but what about moms who love a different kind of flower? Or dads who may appreciate a cannabis beverage on Father's Day?

With wide acceptance due to legalization, cannabis retail can tap into more than the official canna holidays.

Many may default to a sales-forward approach, which may work in the short term, but a better long-term strategy puts the customer first.

We can quickly turn off a customer during the holiday season, especially if we aggressively push sales cues or fall out of sync with how customers want to be treated. Not everyone walking in your door is there to shop for that special occasion. Create visual cues to help those on a mission find what they need without taking over the entire store.

As the weather changes, we are seeing a shift in shoppers' behaviour. They are now looking for ideas on what to bring to a BBQ or what to consume at the local patio spot discreetly. Some may also be looking for ideas for a camping trip or to dose before heading to the outdoor farmer’s market.

Spring and Summer offer the opportunity to feature seasonal products and enhance existing product offerings with enticing cross-promotions.

Seasonal promotions can dramatically improve sales and product velocity, becoming more vital as foot traffic in-store can be more volatile. Everyone has experienced a slow long weekend as everyone seems to leave town. Without proper preparation and training, retailers could fall short on sales goals.

Seasonal Merchandising: Planning for successful store execution

While visual merchandising drives sales, you need to consider how this affects the rest of the store.

Think about how visual merchandising affects payroll/scheduling. Get your teams (i.e., marketing, merchandising, inventory, etc.) on the same page. Refresh often, and you’ll be able to respond to slow-moving stock earlier in the season.

By being proactive, you can suggest the perfect summer add-on a week before they leave for a trip, avoiding natural lulls over long weekends.

You want to avoid merchandising being executed reactively without leaving time for the consumer to shop. This type of merchandising also can take away from floor support if it is not scheduled.

Tips for retailers and brands:

Retailers:

• Make a plan. A strategic promotional calendar encourages a smooth holiday season.
• Focus on modular displays that are highly visible and can easily be rotated.
• Maintain a multi-channel presence. Ensure in-store promotions are communicated on every platform (i.e., website, social media, etc.)
• Create gifting bundles. Each season calls for a different mission for your shopper. Use your displays as a gift guide and experience guide.

Brands:

• Listen to customer/market needs. How can you meet needs and solve problems while tying in new products?
• Create exceptional trade marketing that can be featured on product displays.
• Collaborate with brand partners to expand your reach and get new visual merchandising ideas.
• Stay in sync with retailers to avoid stockouts, keep promotions synonymous, and create a cohesive in-store experience.