Christmas is quickly rolling around again and it’s time to dust off the office tree, get the tinsel out and add a bit of festive cheer. There are lots of reasons to do this, but the most important one for you is that customers are more inclined to buy from a business when reminded that it is Christmas.
Depending on the industry you’re in introducing Christmas to your business will be quite different, but here are just a few ways that it can be done:
Prepare for Success
It’s surprising how many companies close up shops around Christmas time. You should only do this if you know for a fact that you don’t sell products during this period. Christmas is an excellent time for most retailers, as people will generally buy more items for themselves, friends and family.
Make sure that you have plenty of items in stock, have taken on additional staff (if needed) and are fully prepared with all the extra packaging and essentials ready. One of the worst things your business can do is not prepare to be successful.
When making changes for Christmas this should take top priority, ensuring that every little detail is covered – the last thing you want to do is run out of stock and not be able to get it in before Christmas.
Update Your Packaging
Have you ever noticed how big brands always change their packaging around Christmas time? Look at Coca-Cola, every November they launch a new ad campaign complete with festively labelled products. This year they’ve tweaked their highly successful “Names on a Bottle” tactic to having the names of Santa’s reindeer, a very clever move.
Now we’re not saying that you need to go to this level of extreme, but by adding a hint of Christmas to your existing packaging you may see big differences. For example if you’re a pub, restaurant or café and you serve food on grease proof paper, then changing your design to look more Christmassy can give your customers that warm, happy feeling of Christmas being in the air. This packs extra weight if you bring out a winter menu as well!
If you’re a confectionery or sell coffee and tea then why not put a bit of festive cheer into your packaging with one of our bespoke black ribbed kraft bags? These provide a real sense of value, making it the perfect packaging for people to buy as a Christmas gift!
Put Up Decorations
It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, putting up decorations is a great way of showing your human side. This could be anything from throwing up a Christmas tree, to going all out and having a string of lights going all across your building and a fake Santa on the roof.
You could go full-on Christmas and make changes to your website, shop or staff uniforms by introducing things like sprigs of holly, snowflakes or even Santa and his elves. Sometimes if you make big changes like this you will see a large influx of Christmas lovers flocking to your store – either physical or digital.
Bring Out Christmas Products
One of the best ways to embrace the Christmas period is to bring out exclusive products for this time of year. This is a particularly great idea for bakeries or people making their own tea and coffee, as these luxury items are frequently bought as presents or treats during these winter months. Don’t forget about packaging though, as we mentioned above Christmas packaging can have a big impact on your sales!
This is a great way to encourage your regular customers to buy more from you, as these festive products will be available for a limited time only. Think about Starbuck’s winter menu, their sales drastically increase with these menus as customers go back regularly to try new products.
Send a Christmas Newsletter
What better way to celebrate Christmas as a business than to say thank you to all your customers and keep them up to date with how you’re doing? This is a bit like receiving a Christmas card from a friend or family member, so make sure that you keep it personal and relevant. While this may not be an option for everyone, if you’re able to do this then it is a good way of improving communications and increasing customer loyalty.
Have a Winter Sale
Now is THE time for sales, everyone does it and for good reason. At this time of year everyone is trying to sell their products and while people are looking to buy they still want the best deal out there. By offering them a discounted rate on your normal price or deals like “buy two, get one free” you can increase the amount of customers you receive and therefore have a larger turn over – just in time for Christmas!
Are you planning on bringing Christmas packaging to your business? Get in touch with Charlotte Express today, we have everything from greaseproof paper to foil side gusset bags that are perfect for tea or coffee.
