Promotion and Pricing

  • Strategically-planned marketing events should be scheduled at least once a quarter.
  • Communication is key to your employees and customers.
  • Invite consumers in-ad.
  • Develop omni-channel approach to touch today’s consumers.
  • Create in-store excitement with announcements and sampling.
  • Motivate customers to take action with a treasure hunt atmosphere.
  • Be competitive with your display and perimeter price points.
  • Event items prices must be priced lower than any competitor’s previous published price advertised in your area.
  • Properly sign items. Use lobby stand signs to build excitement and shout the events’ low prices.

Planning and Projections

  • Right items at the right price, get team input on items based from your customers’ buying behaviors.
  • Planning for adequate inventory levels for your event is vital to a successful event. Out of stocks can lead to customer dissatisfaction.
  • Schedule adequate help to keep key items full on the shelf.
  • Proper scheduling for excellent customer service, product replenishment and to maintain store cleanliness is a must.
  • Challenge your department heads to promote in-store specials and evaluate the results.
  • Plan for a big event. No one buys what you want to sell them; they buy what is a value to them! Give customers a strong reason to visit your store.
  • Look at adding distribution coverage for event.
  • Check different ways to get your ad message out: newspaper in-ad R.O.P., direct mail, marriage mail, or local publications.
  • Use radio, television, billboards and all available social media.

Having retail selling events isn’t a passing trend. Selling events have been around a long time, and we are willing to bet they will outlast some of the hot tech trends we see today.  That’s because people will always have a need for human connections and retailers that can step up and fill that desire will thrive.

TEN EVENT IDEAS

  • One Day Meat Sale
  • Produce Sidewalk Sale
  • Buy One Get One
  • Snack Attack Sale
  • Friday the 13th
  • Hog Wild
  • Black Friday
  • Spicy Savings
  • Grilling Time
  • Farmer’s Market Tent Sale

Promotional Checklist

Listed below are planning steps needed for retailers to conduct a successful promotion.  A strategic plan is needed that incorporates both merchandising and store operations as one functional unit.

  • Create your merchandising event Determine theme and time-frame.
  • Determine your marketing strategy Create an omni-channel plan to communicate with as many customers as possible.
  • Product selection Select products for your event that customers demand.
  • Product procurement Determine a sales objective and order accordingly.
  • Store display plan Be sure to utilize all merchandising vehicles in your store.
  • Signage and tag execution Formulate a method to communicate price points and savings.
  • Store staffing Plan labor to support the event. Front end must be staffed to handle the projected sales volume.
  • Store huddle Having all your associates fully engaged is crucial.
  • Product replenishment Don’t be out of stock on the event items.
  • Lessons learned Make good notes of your events successes and what can be improved for the next events.
SELL… SELL… SELL
Contact your District Sales Manager for a copy of your Sales & Event Marketing Guide