With flea market and swap meet vendors looking to entice shoppers back to their booths after months of disruption, Black Friday is the perfect time to get them excited. Despite the uncertainty of the Delta variant, many consumers plan to do their holiday shopping in person this year, so get ready to supply a lot of in market promotions!
“At times during the pandemic, the future of in-store shopping looked uncertain, but while mobile and online shopping has increased in popularity due to consumers spending more time indoors in the last year and a half, physical stores remain the key hub for retail,” Payal Hindocha, Director of Customer Engagement Solutions GTM at Emarsys, said. “In fact, 50 percent of retailers say in-store will be an important commerce channel for driving revenue from customers in the run up to the next big retailing event of the year — Black Friday. It is true that online has been a great alternative for driving revenue while physical stores have been closed and comes with strong advantages for effectively collecting customer data, however, physical stores still drive the most profit and give consumers the greatest satisfaction.”
Shoppers Are Looking For a Deal
As businesses think about how to prepare for this busy shopping weekend, new global research from Emarsys reveals that almost half (45%) of shoppers only stay loyal to brands due to being regularly offered discounts, points, and rewards. Price is also a strong motivation for shoppers across the world. Over half (58%) admit to switching products if a cheaper option is available, and a further 53 percent will shop indiscriminately, depending on their circumstances.
Identify Trends Well in Advance
“Ahead of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the festive period, sellers will be looking to optimize their product revenue and should start planning well in advance,” Kenny Tsang, Managing Director of PingPong Payments, said. “You will also want to diversify your supply strategy, and so first, sellers should assess what is trending to identify the products and tap into new lucrative markets. To minimize disruption as the seasonal shopping period approaches, some areas in which sellers could focus on are highlighting free shipping if applicable, return policies, and preferred payment methods to ensure shoppers go through with their purchase.”
Consider Your Current POS Setup
The pandemic accelerated the need for touch-free payments while shopping in person, which includes mobile and tap-to-pay credit card payments. It is important for vendors to cater to all different kinds of shoppers if you want to score sales, and meeting customers where they are most comfortable is a big step.
Glam Up the In-Person Shopping Experience
As the world continues to go back to normal, Hindocha says that flea market and swap meet vendors can expect to see footfall to increase once more as we look to the long-term future. In-person shopping will remain a key channel for sales and customer engagement, which means that sellers need to make sure their booths look festive and inviting. Use eye-catching and brightly colored signage to promote discounts or new products, decorate with snowmen and other fun winter accessories to make consumers feel like they are shopping from a winter wonderland, and even consider offering a free gift or coupon with purchase to thank shoppers for buying from your booth.
Small businesses are the experts of personalized experiences, so do not forget to offer a friendly smile and charming conversation so customers remember your face. As you prepare for one of the busiest seasons of the year, utilize some of these tips to help your business be as successful as possible.