Preparing Your Store For Valentine\’s Day Shoppers

Valentine’s Day is less than a month away. So, just like every other annual celebration that involves gift-giving, it’s a special day for retailers all over Canada. As a merchant, it’s important to begin marketing your Valentine’s Day sales well in advance. Naturally, shoppers will be looking to make purchases for their “special someones” before February 14^th rolls around.

What do you plan on doing to prepare your store for Valentine’s Day shoppers? We have a few ideas.

Direct your marketing efforts to all shoppers.

Don’t leave single people out. And don’t assume children aren’t eligible to receive Valentine’s Day gifts either. Come up with a marketing plan that showcases the products you have available for people from all walks of life.

JustUno.com explains that “Valentine’s Day shopping trends have changed quite a bit over the years. Valentine’s Day is no longer just for romance. Consumers will spend money on family members, children, co-workers, pets, and even themselves.”

Create a special Valentine’s Day section of your store.

Perhaps, your store isn’t known to cater to Valentine’s Day shoppers. Do you own a hardware store, for example? Not to worry. Your products can just as easily be highlighted as worthwhile-to-buy items, during this time of year, by having them placed in a specially-designed section of your store. And, if you do sell items that are popular sellers for the special occasion – jewellery comes to mind – dedicating a special section of your store for Valentine’s Day is vital.

“If you’re selling a lot of Valentine’s Day-centric merchandise, why not place them all in one convenient part of your website or store?” asks Francesca Nicasio on VendHQ.com, “Doing so will make it easier for your customers to find the items that they need. Forever 21 is doing just that this year. They currently have a ‘V-Day Shop’ so shoppers can quickly find what the need for Valentine’s Day.”

Design a Valentine’s Day gift guide.

No matter what you sell, it’s wise to alert your customers to the fact that your store is just as much a Valentine’s Day shopping destination as any other one out there. You can do that by designing a gift guide and posting it to your company website.

“Put together a series of blog posts or a downloadable buying guide filled with different gift ideas for men, women, pets, and friends,” suggests JustUno.com, “Be sure to link to your products so shoppers can immediately purchase from you when they find a gift idea they like.”

Put your gift cards on clear display.

It’s imperative that your customers know you have gift cards available. A huge part of the Valentine’s Day gift-giving tradition is providing gift recipients with special experiences. If you’re a restaurant owner, you know this all too well. By putting your gift cards on clear display, you’ll significantly increase your chances of selling these great ways to offer loved ones great experiences.

According to Nicasio, “the NRF’s 2019 Valentine’s Day survey found that almost a quarter of respondents (23.7%) planned on giving ‘a gift of experience,’ while 42.3% said they would love to receive one.  That’s why if you’re in the business of providing services or experiences, find ways to promote them for Valentine’s Day.”

To take advantage of the electronic gift cards made available by Canadian POS, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-877-748-2884 or email us at info@localhost.