The busiest season of the year is officially here, and 2019 is projected to be the biggest holiday shopping season yet. Approximately 70% of U.S. households own a pet, and as any pet retailer knows, pet parents love to shop for their fur-babies during the holidays. This year, 94.2% of pet owners plan on purchasing at least one holiday gift for their pet. Approximately 60% of surveyed pet owners said they plan to shop in-stores for their pet, and approximately 40% plan to shop online.
What does all of this mean for pet retailers? Pet parents are ready to spend big this holiday season! November shopping holidays start right after Thanksgiving, and include Black Friday (November 29th), and Small Business Saturday (November 30th). These are followed by Cyber Monday (December 2nd), and of course, Hanukkah and Christmas. With so many holidays in such a short amount of time, it’s important for retailers to boost their marketing efforts and merchandising strategy.
Here are some insights and resources to help you succeed this holiday season.
Marketing
Social Media
Holiday marketing campaigns should be festive and creative, whether you’re marketing your brick and mortar, or your online store. It’s important to call out any sales or events on your social media channels, especially during the holidays when consumers are looking to shop. You should also actively engage your customers on social media with “surprise and delight” holiday content. This adds a personal element to your business, and helps you build a loyal following and relationship with your customers.
If you haven’t already joined Endless Marketing powered by Promoboxx, the holiday season is the perfect time to join. Endless Marketing gives you access to free, professionally created content made specially for pet retailers to share with their customers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. This is a great way to boost your engagement and drive sales for the holidays! Check out Endless Marketing to learn more and get started!
In-Store
The holidays are a great time to test out in-store campaigns, from events or contests, to special sales. These campaigns should be festive and fun for your customers and their pets. The more creative, the better! In-store campaigns can bring both existing, and new customers into your store, and can directly drive sales. Check out our blog post, 5 Engaging Holiday Marketing Campaigns for some ideas.
Merchandising
Impulse buys
Keep small “stocking stuffer” items like a holiday themed bone or toy near your registers. Some customers might not be looking for gifts for their pet, but will be reminded once they see these fun and engaging items.
Themed Toys
Holiday themed toys like Turkeys, Santas, and snowflakes will be very popular for the holiday season, but it’s also important to keep up with non-holiday related trends. Whether it’s a popular trendy food like an avocado, or a character from pop culture, these toys will be popular gifts as well!
Planning
Start Early
There is no definitive date for when the holiday shopping season begins. Some businesses start holiday marketing before Halloween, and others wait until closer to Thanksgiving. Whichever you decide to do, make sure that you start your holiday planning early so that you have ample time to think about and execute your campaigns in the most effective way possible!
BOPUIS
Buy Online Pick Up In-Store is expected to be a major trend this holiday season, especially for last-minute shoppers in the few days before the holidays. If you don’t already offer BOPUIS to your customers, check out Endless Aisles Lite for in-store pick up!
We hope that you find this holiday season guide helpful in engaging your customers and driving sales both in-store and online!