Preparing for the holidays doesn’t have to be stressful. Being organized will help prepare your POS for the voluminous holiday sales, inputting promotional coupons, setting up employee time calendars, updating your inventory, and more. Most customers will deal with long lines during the holidays but fumes will rise and impatient spirits will grow when the sales price for the Christmas decorations doesn’t match the price in the system. Here is how to avoid the mishaps that will ruin you and your customer’s holiday shopping experience.
#1. Be Ready for High-Volume Sales
Now that Covid is waning, plan for a busy holiday season. Make sure that you have double-checked all your inventory. To do this as efficiently as possible, invest in a high-tech Point-of-sale system that will track all incoming merchandise, notify you when inventory is low, and keep you on top of all the best-selling items. Most technology can inform retailers about the best times to invest in products rather than waste money on bearish merchandise that won’t sell. Peak shopping season is around the corner, so there’s no time to waste. The last thing you want is to have angry customers complaining about sold-out merchandise and a lack of inventory stock.#2 Prepare and Enter New Inventory
If you have an Ecommerce store, having a fresh and up-to-date inventory is an excellent way to increase foot traffic and online sales, which will bring in more revenue. Preparing your inventory in-store can be stress-free with your POS. To schedule your point of sale for new inventory, you will need to add the new items to your inventory list, and then update your point of sale to reflect the new inventory.#3 Prepare Promotions and Promotional Ideas
Once you have ensured that you are stocked up on seasonal products, begin promoting your store! Promoting your seasonal items at the right time can maximize sales and profits. Most POS software systems already include data analytics and sales reports based on seasonal trends to inform retailers about the popular and unpopular items in their stores. Consider setting up promo codes, advertisements, and signage. If local laws allow it, put signs outside of your store that will make people curious to stop in. An online social media presence can boost awareness as well, leading to conversions and higher revenue. An online presence can help expand your network. Consider using an email marketing platform such as Mailchimp to stay in touch with loyal customers. Consider hosting some events at your location. The best marketing strategy is spreading happiness.#4 Set up an Employee Time Calendar
The end of the year is a busy time for businesses. Employees may want time off to celebrate the holidays, or they may be working extra hours to get things done before the new year. Set up a separate calendar for the end of the year to help you keep track of employee time off. The best way to set up an employee time calendar for the holidays will vary depending on the workplace however, here are some tips to remember:- Plan Ahead: One of the best ways to ensure an organized and smooth holiday season is to plan. This means creating a calendar or timeline of key events and tasks and assigning specific deadlines to them. This will help employers ensure that everyone is on the same page and that no deadlines or important tasks are missed.
- Communication is key: For employees to be able to plan for the holidays effectively, employers should reiterate any specific dates and hours that employees will be required to work, as well as any other important information regarding the holiday season.
- Consider employee wishes: When creating an employee time calendar for the holidays, it is important to consider your employees’ wishes. For example, many employees may want time off for Christmas or New Year’s, while others may want to take vacation days during other parts of the holiday season. Employers should try to be as accommodating as possible, while still meeting business needs.
