Going into the holiday season, we all have sales on our minds. Price markdowns are great, but the key to keeping holiday sales booming is keeping customers engaged without just relying on a traditional price reduction. Here are some fun ways to encourage holiday shopping in your stores:
Stocking stuffer surprises.
To help move inventory, create a display with items that can help customers create a sexy holiday experience at home.
Go to Walmart or Target, pick up some holiday stockings and create a fun display with mystery stockings at prime price points around $25 to $50, filled with items you were trying to clear out. Work with your manufacturers to have them contribute small freebies to add to the stockings, which will increase their perceived value. Make sure to add in the cost of the stocking and other supplies you use for the display to get your cost back!
Product bundling.
This can be another great way to partner with the product suppliers that you work with. Think wand attachments, C-rings, lubes, toy cleaners and other items that make sense to bundle together. Make a full display dedicated to bundling items you are trying to move through your inventory. When offering product bundling, make sure your signage is clear about what items can be packaged together. A great way to make signage is by using a program called Canva. You don’t have to be a professional designer to use it! It’s user-friendly, provides a wide variety of templates and can be used to design everything from social media posts to printed signage.
Gift with purchase, aka GWP.
Look at items you’re focusing your sale on, and think of fun “mix and match” options. Try to stay away from pairing cheap or inexpensive items with other cheaper items so it doesn’t feel like a clearance sale. GWP is a great opportunity to move higher-priced items by pairing them with an item valued at a lesser price point. For example, pair an expensive stroker with a high-end yet still affordable lubricant, or pair a high-end vibe with a smaller vibe to make it feel like an all-inclusive set. If you can score swag items from your manufacturers, it’s the perfect time to pair something you can’t purchase in-store with a big-ticket item. This creates a feeling of “VIP treatment” when customers know they are getting something special and unique, that is limited in availability.
“Christmas Tree Ornament Blitz.”
Decorate one or more trees with Christmas ornaments that have the names of prizes inside. Customers can purchase bulbs at different price points — for example, $1, $5 and $10 — and get a fun surprise when they find out what they win. This is also an easy way to move through merchandise you don’t want to stock anymore, since you can use items that you really want to clear out as prizes. Ask your distributor or manufacturers for closeout specials, as they can be a great option for finding inexpensive items.
Social media countdown.
Think “Advent calendar” but on social media! Plan different giveaways and discounts throughout a monthlong or weeklong stretch. Again, Canva is a great option to design all your social media posts for the giveaways. Each day can be special and different; you get out what you put in. Remember to be active on both Instagram and Facebook to hit all your audiences!
Plan a sexy “Christmas Night” display.
To help move inventory, create a display with items that can help customers create a sexy holiday experience at home. Utilize traditional red and green, but think along the same lines as you would for Valentine’s Day. Utilize this display option to push sales of holiday lingerie, and other holiday accessories you don’t want to sit on throughout the year.
Whatever your inventory goals or sales goals may be, hopefully one of the options above will spark ideas for your store. It’s not about how much you spend or how fancy you make it. These are easy ideas that are meant to be implemented in stores of any size and don’t require a lot of management to be successful. Happy holiday selling!
Danielle Seerley, aka “America’s Sex Toy Sweetheart” (AmericasSexToySweetheart.com), is the senior sales executive for Shibari Wands and Voodoo Toys.
