November 30 marks the 10th annual Small Business Saturday—a day that encourages consumers to support local and small businesses. How do small business owners gain an edge to maximize revenue potential? Make it easy to buy local by providing an exceptional customer experience.
Shoppers spent a record $17.8 billion on this day last year according to the 2018 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey. The study also reports that 42% of American adults shopped at independently owned businesses.
Make It Easy for Shoppers
There’s no better time to have your website ready and accurate for people who peruse merchandise or services online before heading into a store location. And these days, that’s almost everyone using mobile devices. Make your online mobile experience user friendly to provide a consistently great experience at all your storefronts.
Equip store associates with mobile device capabilities. With access to product information, inventory details, and point of sale/checkout capabilities, your associates can provide better service on a busy, high-traffic day. Associates can also sign up customers for loyalty programs without clogging checkout lines. Offering mobile checkout addresses a big issue for customers—waiting in long, slow-moving lines. There’s nothing worse than being stuck. Create a solution that wins huge customer experience points.
Gift Cards
If you need a quick way to add a promotion for Small Business Saturday, reward buyers with gift cards to keep them coming back through the holiday season. For example, promote “Buy 2 or More [of these] and Receive a $20 Gift Card.”
On average, customers who use gift cards spend 20% more than the card’s value when they return. You can also tie gift cards to your customer loyalty program by rewarding purchase milestones. Gift cards elevate your brand, and customers may pass them on to friends and family during the holidays—extending brand awareness for you.
Inventory Management
Be sure to leverage technology to gain insight into what’s selling and maintain optimum inventory levels to avoid losing customers to competitors. Promote your best-selling inventory and display it strategically. Technology with real-time data can also help you provide instant answers to customer inquiries—creating better engagement and loyalty.
Out service the Competition
It’s an important time to watch for opportunities to make great business decisions and memorable customer experiences. Strengthen the local connection and remind customers you’re there with the best value and experience.
Need More Inspiration?
Download the Epicor eBook, Customer Engagement in Retail—6 Opportunities to Out service Your Competition, for more suggestions to help you stand out.