The holiday season is just around the corner! And this year is unlike any other. This can be your most profitable time of the year, as well as your last stretch to reach new consumers!
So, whether you’re planning to sell products online, in stores, or both, there are many holiday special promotions ideas you need to take advantage of the huge sales boosts the holidays will bring.
Let’s Look Back at the 2021 Holiday Shopping Season
Let us look at some highlights from the last holiday season that we consider to affect us today.
- eCommerce saw an 11% gain in sales compared to 2020.
- The 2021 holiday retail sales increased by 8.5%, the biggest annual increase in sales in 17 years.
- Prices grew by 6.9% YoY amidst rising inflation. Online prices also saw an increase of 3.5% YoY.
- 57% of consumers planned to shop earlier last year to get the best prices and discounts and avoid delivery and fulfillment delays.
When Does the 2020 Holiday Shopping Season Begin?
For most people, Thanksgiving is considered the official start of the holiday shopping season. But according to the National Retail Foundation (NRF), 40% of U.S. consumers start their holiday shopping during Halloween.
If you want to stand out, you have to take note of these 2022 holiday shopping dates.
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Thanksgiving (November 24)
Last 2021, sales online on Thanksgiving day rang in at $5.1 billion, according to Adobe.
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Black Friday (November 25)
According to Adobe Analytics, U.S. consumers spent $8.92 billion on retail websites on Black Friday 2021, down 1.2% from $9.03 billion on the same day last 2020.
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Cyber Monday (November 28)
According to Adobe, consumers logged online last year on Cyber Monday and spent $10.7 billion, marking a 1.4% decrease from year-ago levels.
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Christmas (December 25)
According to Deloitte, US households spent an average of $1,387 during the 2020 Christmas holiday season. -
New Year (January 1)
US eCommerce grew 14.2% in 2021, according to digitalcommerce360.com.
In 2021 alone, holiday retail sales surpassed $1.2 trillion. After a two-year hiatus amidst COVID-19, shopping is finally returning to normalcy. According to the Roi Revolution, in 2022, U.S. holiday retail sales are predicted to reach $1.3 trillion, a 3.3% increase over 2021. Furthermore, as per McKinsey & Co, many growing retail businesses bring about 30% of their annual revenue during the holiday season. Deloitte’s annual holiday retail forecast also suggests that holiday sales increase by 4-6% in 2022. They also forecasted eCommerce sales growth of 12.8% to 14.3% YOY during the 2022-23 holiday season.
Capture your share of this bounty by starting your holiday promotions now. This is a big opportunity for you, as a brand or retailer, to tap into. But let’s face it. Yours isn’t the only business out there that’s expecting to take advantage of the busy holiday season to stay on top of the competition. Make sure you have great deals and holiday inspiration ready across online and offline platforms.
Some Holiday Trends You Need to Look Out for this 2022
Customer needs are always changing. That is why knowing what’s coming and staying ahead of those updates can help your business succeed. Aside from providing special promotions and sales this holiday, you also need to understand some of the changing customer trends and demands.
Customer needs are always changing. From traditional shopping trends to virtual gifting options and holiday gift cards, this holiday season will combine age-old traditions and modern retailing into one.
That is why knowing what’s coming and staying ahead of those updates can help your business succeed. Aside from providing special promotions and sales this holiday, you also need to understand some of the changing customer trends and demands.
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Inflation
According to Vivek Pandya from Adobe, the biggest game changer this 2022 is inflation and how shoppers will make the most of their budgets. People may cut off some of their spending on clothing and footwear, with 25% of people expected to cut back in those areas, according to Forbes.
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Big discounts
The good news for shoppers this 2022 is discounts, especially in electronics and toys.
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Customers want a human touch.
With wallets almost strapped and emotions running high, customers will look for brands that can provide them with personalized solutions and experiences.
Top Holiday Promotion Ideas for Small Businesses
With all the statistics mentioned above, you cannot afford to miss out on this holiday season and ignore this huge opportunity to grow profitable revenue during the last months of 2022.
But how can you ensure your brand is prepared? How can you take advantage of this wonderful time of the year to attract new and current shoppers? Let’s help you plan your holiday promotions ahead of time, so you’re not late to the party!
We’ve compiled a list of holiday promotion ideas and tips to make your promotions a success this holiday season. We are ready to help you stand out from the crowd and help your business gain more consumers’ attention. Let’s help you create an effective holiday marketing plan for your small business.
Stand out this festive season with these winning holiday promotion ideas that will get the registers ringing.
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Decorate Your Business
This holiday season, it’s time to be creative, not only with your discounts but also with your designs. Dress your business with holiday themes to put holiday excitement on customers and set their minds. Incorporating holiday designs is one of the least expensive ways to promote your business and put shoppers in a holiday-buying mood. You can even reuse your decorations from the last few years to save costs!
You can put festive decorations on every corner of your shop to trigger the holiday feelings and other emotions associated with the season. You can start decorating after Thanksgiving. Make sure to ramp up slowly to avoid overwhelming consumers.
You can also incorporate holiday designs into your packaging. This way, consumers will consider your products as gift-worthy items. Increase your sales by attracting customers who are looking for gifts around the holidays. Make sure your packaging is appropriate for all ages. You should plan each design carefully so that it won’t draw attention away from the product itself. Your products should still be recognizable to consumers, so they can find them easily when shopping online or in stores. Also, ensure that your design still reflects your brand and what it stands for. Use holiday designs as a way to boost brand recognition.
As so many more of us will still be shopping online this year, you can also spruce up your website. Think of eye-catching banners on your homepage. You can also fill each product page with gorgeous graphics. Furthermore, do not forget to decorate your social media channels, such as your Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, or Twitter profiles, to put consumers in a holiday-shopping mood.So, get creative and spruce up your designs to match the holiday season ahead and make the shopping experience seamless.
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Offer a Special, Holiday-Only Product or Service
One of the most effective ways to attract customers and stimulate sales while celebrating the season is to provide a holiday-themed product or a product that’s only available for a limited time during the holiday season. Treat customers to a limited-time festive product, service, or upgrade. You can simply give it a fun temporary name. Most businesses also create a limited-edition festive version of their bestsellers. For example, beauty brands around the world celebrate the holidays by providing exclusive Christmas-themed skincare, fragrances, and make-up. They reinvent their iconic packaging and introduce festive-themed ranges. So, make sure to up your game with offerings that are sure to delight your market, from new consumers to avid collectors.
To generate awareness and buzz, make sure to promote your product before it actually goes on sale through emails, social media, flyers, and signage.
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Encourage Shopping Early
The holiday season is the busiest time of the year, so it is best to encourage your customers to shop early. Think of ways your early holiday promotion can be helpful to your customer and provide them with a stress-free shopping experience. Make sure to deliver subtle in-store marketing. You can reward them for starting early.
You can offer an incentive to buy early, such as:
- Discounts on popular seasonal products
- A giveaway draw for the first 25 customers
- Free gift-wrapping for their purchases
- A coupon for future use
- A special gift with their purchase
- In-store treats
- Help them with products or services for their holiday parties
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Make Shopping a Fun Game
To make shopping a fun game, you can consider doing 12 days of giveaways. This promotion involves highlighting a product or service as the “deal of the day” every day for 12 days. Lead your customers through your store in search of these deals and include everyone who purchases the deal of the day in a draw for a gift card or popular item you sell. This will help show off your products better while providing a fun and money-saving shopping experience for your customers.
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Host an Event
You might also want to host a fun event and turn it into something larger as Christmas Day comes. Position this event as a kickoff to the holiday season. This can be done in person and provide some live music, free snacks, and a cozy atmosphere. People will come to your shop, even if they might not have been to it before, to participate in fun games.
You can also create separate games for children, such as arranging for Santa to make an appearance to pose for photos. This is a good way to attract customers with children. You can also partner with other businesses and expand the hunt to several stores.
These events can also be used to collect testimonials from your customers. You can assign an employee to interview the members of the crowd about what they like best about your products. Then, you can post the footage to your website or social media after obtaining legal permission to do so. If you’re an online-only business, you can host an online activity via Zoom, a webinar platform, Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok Lives.
Make sure to use social media and email marketing to promote your events during the lead-up. Share photos or videos on social media and make it a local movement. If you run a retail location, have signage in your store. Create hype by teasing out what they can expect from you.
A fun event can make your customers’ shopping experience more fun and personalized while helping them select the perfect holiday gift. These customer-centric promotions can help you build a relationship with your customers and are the best way to stand out from the crowd.
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Offer a Discount or Give Your Customers a Free Gift
Your customers want to feel valued and appreciated, so the holidays are the perfect time to say thank you by providing them with a discount or giving them a gift. Also, businesses that offer discounts during holidays have more chances of boosting their sales than others who do not.
Customers love loyalty cards that offer them discounts when they spend a certain amount. You can also offer customers free shipping for a day with a low minimum purchase. You can also provide discounts on future purchases to say thank you and encourage another shopping after the holiday season.
If you are a service-based business, you can make use of discounts by bundling offerings. It’s a good incentive for people with large numbers of acquaintances or co-workers.
If you are on a limited budget, you can create a less expensive proposition, such as giving refrigerator magnets, keychain laser lights, and paperweight ornaments. You can also include a small gift or free product sample with each purchase you ship.
The holidays are the season for gift-giving. So, make your customers feel special while rewarding them for shopping with you to get into their good graces.
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Send a Greeting Card
Show your appreciation by sending customers a holiday card with a heartfelt, handwritten message in the mail. In this online era, paper greeting cards tend to stand out. Make sure to create an attractive and eye-catching greeting card. This will serve as a pleasant reminder that you treasure your customers. Your customers will feel more special.
Make sure to customize each card by putting their names, if you can. Add a personal touch by including a handwritten note. Mail these cards early to allow plenty of time for them to reach customers to avoid delays and have them arrive after the shopping season has ended.
If yours is an online-only business, don’t let that stop you. You can send digital cards that can be even more memorable than printed cards.
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Create a Gift Guide
With so much going on during the holiday season, provide an easy shopping experience for your customers. You can do this by providing a gift guide. A good gift guide will be well-received by consumers who are overwhelmed with holiday preparations and those who are short on time and hard up for ideas. This will make shopping much simpler for them, especially if they have long lists of friends and family. The key is to provide solid recommendations to help your customers get their shopping done with ease and less stress.
To make the guide as useful as possible, organize it by category. Group your offerings to cater to different market segments. Put together a gift guide with product suggestions for different family members or diverse areas of interest. Organize it for the men in the family, for the women in their lives, special gifts for the kids, and for Secret Santa crowd pleasers. Your guide can be done either online or in print.
Be sure to promote it through your customer newsletter emails and social media campaigns
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Wrapping Up
We hope we’ve inspired you to try new holiday promotions this year! The trick to holiday promotions is to have one that helps you build a better relationship with your customers.
It’s never too early to start preparing! With the help of our skilled experts here in Proweaver, you can have campaigns that will ensure a very merry selling season for your business.
Get in touch with us today by calling us at +1 (877) 300-6564 or +1 (877) 216-0852.
We wish you every success for a safe and profitable holiday season!