Let the Holiday Shopping Commence?
By: Alison Fitcher
Growing up, Black Friday was the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. My mom and aunt would sit down after Thanksgiving dinner and pull out the coupons from the newspaper, decide which mall we would go to and when we needed to leave, and make a list of everyone we needed to shop for.
Of course, they always took (or dragged) me along for the ride. I distinctly remember my mom waking me up bright and early and loading me into the car for a long, drawn-out day of shopping. I’ll admit, I often did not want to participate in this annual event. But as I look back, I have nothing but fond memories. I am sure that annual event is what led to my affinity for doing my holiday shopping in person and after Thanksgiving and quite possibly my career in retail PR. I enjoy the hustle and bustle, getting into the Christmas spirit with friends and family, and looking for the perfect holiday gifts.
Over the last decade, the holiday shopping season has started earlier each year, with ornaments and trees popping up alongside Halloween costumes and stores opening on Thanksgiving to accommodate those looking to find the best deals and take advantage of doorbusters. Now, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems holiday shopping this year will start even earlier. And for many, it will be done all online.
Which brings me to the present. It is Oct. 13 and the first day of Amazon Prime Day — one of the biggest shopping events of the year, rivaling the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend. The event typically takes place in July and gives third-party sellers a much-needed boost during the slower summer months. However, due to the pandemic shifting their focus solely on delivering essential items, Amazon delayed the event.
Once it announced Prime Day moved to Oct. 13-14 — just 44 days from Black Friday — deal-seekers everywhere rejoiced to get a headstart on the holiday shopping season and take advantage of the deep discounts offered to Prime subscribers.
Not to be outdone, Target and Walmart announced their own online sales coinciding with Prime Day and touted deals of the same magnitude as Black Friday.
While big box stores have the ability and flexibility to make these quick pivots and offer steep discounts, most retailers do not. To thrive this holiday season and appeal to all shoppers, including those who still want to visit stores in person (like me), here are a few things stores can do to maximize Q4 revenue:
- Continue to provide in-store experiences: Brands that offer a robust in-store experience, such as Nike, Sephora, and Allison+Partners client PGA TOUR Superstore, thrived before the pandemic and will likely recover quicker. The reality is, consumers want fun and interactive in-store experiences. Nothing can compare to swinging a club or testing out a new lipstick before purchasing. This holiday season, with a few modifications, stores can still give their consumers the experience that brought them in the doors in the first place. Whether this is informal modeling with the models wearing a face mask, increased cleaning and sanitation of high-touch items, or offering in-store digital try-on of beauty products, retailers must rethink, not remove, their offerings.
- Elevate and amplify customer service: One of the main benefits of in-person shopping is the customer service. Today’s consumer demands personalized service and expects store employees to go above and beyond. Marketing service offerings, such as help with picking out the perfect present and complimentary gift wrap, remind shoppers they can take their items home with them same day, thus eliminating any anxiety around shipping delays and drawing people out of their homes to shop.
- Reinforce safety and comfort features: It is natural for people to be hesitant to go into a store during the pandemic — let alone during the holidays, when crowds typically increase. Emphasizing the safety precautions put in place (mask wearing, hand-sanitizing stations, reduced store occupancy, increased cleaning and sanitizing) will help put customer’s minds at ease.
2020 has thrown us enough curve balls. And for the past six months, I have done virtually all my shopping online because you can’t beat the convenience in times like these. But when it comes to holiday traditions, shopping included, I plan to do the majority of mine in person as I always do — with the appropriate safety measures in place. I
would love to know, what is your holiday shopping game plan?
If you're interested in learning how our consumer team can help your brand during this time, get in touch at Alison.Fichter@allisonpr.com.
Alison is a SVP in the consumer practice working with a variety of brands in the retail, food tech, CPG and automotive industries. Her expertise lies in creative ideation, media relations strategy, and event planning and execution. Prior to joining Allison+Partners, Alison served as the in the house Midwest PR manager at Bloomingdale’s.
