New year, new you! While the second half of 2021 is going much better than the first half, it has still been an oddball year for businesses. 2020 was spent tip-toeing around the pandemic, this year many businesses were transitioning back to normal, and 2022 is going to bring along some more big changes. American Merchandiser is here to make sure flea market and swap meet sellers are as prepared as possible.
Brands should always be looking to make improvements in their business models and customer experiences, and there is no better time to reevaluate the way you are running things than with beginning of the year resolutions. With advice from experts in the industry, here are some key areas that sellers should focus on in the new year:
Make Your Business Post Pandemic Essential
“Non-essential retail needs to take a look at what they can do to move up the chain to get closer to essential retail,” Danny Estavillo, RevUnit’s Senior Vice President of Growth, said. “During the pandemic, essential retail thrived (think home improvement and grocery), but non-essential retailers struggled because of massive consumer behavior changes that will likely become the new normal. Get a deeper understanding of your products and dive into how you can make those more valuable — understand your consumers more deeply to adjust your product mix more closely to their needs.”
Find More Ways to Be Sustainable
An EPA calculator recently found that delivery emissions of FedEx, UPS, and USPS combined equal the annual emissions of more than seven million cars. According to the 2021 Consumer Intel Report by Vericast’s Valassis line of business, millennials are taking notice of how their purchases impact the environment. The report found that sustainability is a top priority for millennial consumers, with 63 percent of millennials willing to pay more for sustainable products. Additionally, 72 percent of millennial parents are more likely to be loyal to a brand or store that shares its efforts to be environmentally responsible or has sustainable or ethical business practices.
Continue to Build Your Social Media Accounts
Consumers came to rely on social media during the pandemic to either shop or stay in touch with their favorite brands, and many experts believe that this interest will only continue to climb. The power of social media in today’s digital age is incredible, and with nearly one-third of the world using social networks regularly, there is a huge opportunity for sellers to make the most of this community.
TikTok is a social media platform that quickly pushed its way to the top. With about one billion monthly active users, brands took the hint and have been getting creative with how they post content on the popular app. Some strategies that have been working include posting about giveaways, capitalizing on trends, knowing your audience, and working with influencers. It is important to know the demographic for each social media platform before you start working with any of these strategies so you can target your audience even better with content that they will love.
The way consumers are shopping now has permanently changed, and it is important for flea market and swap meet vendors to commit to finding new ways to engage shoppers and bring them into your market. Start the new year off right and give some of these tips a try.