Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the traditional start of the holiday shopping madness. This is the time to make your shop or booth shine and stand out from the rest; to tell your story and create customer loyalty. For both ecommerce and physical booths and storefronts, there’s so much to prepare for. The Merchandiser Group has your back during this stressful yet exciting season and we’re here to help you be fully prepared and get the most out of your sales.
Hosting Events
Planning harvest or holiday events is a great way to get consumers flocking to your market. It doesn’t have to be anything super complicated, just something exciting enough to gather people around and ultimately choose your booth for their holiday shopping destination. Shoppers have so many options to pick from, so why should they buy from you? Contact your market owners and managers and get in on the fun that’s planned. If nothing is planned yet, suggest something! Here are some great ideas from busy, active markets showcasing the events they’ve planned:
United Flea Markets (UFM), owners of 9 flea markets around the U.S., have a Holiday Shopping Extravaganza planned for each flea market. This fun-filled event occurs every weekend from November 23rd to December 23rd where all markets will highlight all of their gift merchandise. Each week a new product will be chosen to feature.
Participating markets include Mile High Flea Market in CO, Flamingo Island Flea Market in FL, T&W Flea market in FL, Awesome Flea Market in KY, J&J Flea Market in GA, Ramona Flea Market in FL, Cooks Flea Market in NC, Mobile Flea Market in AL, and Rubidoux Swap Meet in CA. All of these markets have new and trendy items that are just the thing to check off of children and adult’s wish lists this holiday season.
On top of the Holiday Flea Shopping Extravaganza, J&J Flea Market will also be hosting a Turkey Shoot. For the first time ever, the market will have an archery competition with four different age brackets: ages 10 and under, ages 11 through 15, ages 16 through 20, and ages 21 and over. The event will take place from 10am – 5pm on November 17th. It’s the perfect way to get families out of their houses, having fun, and shopping.
Participating in Small Business Saturday
According to United Flea Markets (UFM) some of the vendors in their markets will be participating in Small Business Saturday (SBS). SBS is an American shopping holiday on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year it will be on November 24th, during one of the biggest holiday shopping periods of the year. The day is meant to promote small businesses and get more customers shopping from them.
Since UFM isn’t a small business, the markets themselves are not participating in the day. Instead, most vendors will apply to be a part of SBS, and each market will promote those participating vendors to encourage customers to come and shop small. In 2017, an estimated 108 million consumers reported shopping or dining at local independently-owned businesses on SBS, according to a survey commissioned by American Express the founder of SBS.
It’s important and may very well pay off to participate in SBS. More and more consumers are showing that they want to shop small, and with the help of the market where you sell, they can help promote your small business to get more people doing their holiday shopping at your booth. The Shop Small website has free downloadable posters, email templates, and social posts to help get you started and get the word out there for your business. Check out their templates and get creative- your goal is to catch the eye of passing shoppers and have some fun in the process.
Creating Market Pop-Ups
This holiday season, FAD Market is hosting three thoughtfully curated Makers’ Markets and adding an artisanal food pop-up. FAD Market, or Fashion Art Design Market, is a pop-up market that travels seasonally to unique venues in New York, where artists and designers can sell unique handcrafted art, jewelry, apparel, bath and body care, furniture, and food and drinks.
Over three weekends in December, there will be a lineup of over 200 independent designer-makers showcasing their handmade treasures. Pop-up markets are perfect because they give customers the excitement of attending an event. More and more pop-ups have been produced by independent brick-and-mortar stores and it’s become quite the fad for retailers. And who says swap meet and market vendors can’t get in on the fun?
As markets and swaps are getting ready for the holiday season, you could easily think of events like these unique businesses have done in order to get your customers involved. If you plan and host a fun outing, shoppers both new and old can see what goodies you offer and shop around during or after the event. This is one of the most exciting times of the year, so feel free to get creative!
Holiday Sales Forecast
On October 3rd, the National Retail Federation (NRF) forecasted that holiday sales in November and December will increase between 4.3 and 4.8% over last year, according to a press release. “Our forecast reflects the overall strength of the industry,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Thanks to a healthy economy and strong consumer confidence, we believe that this holiday season will continue to reflect the growth we’ve seen over the past year.”
The NRF’s holiday forecast is based on an economic model using several indicators including consumer credit, disposable personal income, and previous monthly retail sales. While there is still concern about the impacts of the trade war with China, the NRF is optimistic about holiday shopping activity and so are we. We wish you a creative and fun season, filled with new customers. Good Selling to you!