For retailers everywhere, Christmas isn’t just a few days in December. It lasts well over a month and requires a lot of preparation and planning. For those who fail to do so, this time of year can be far more stressful than it needs to be and, considering it’s one of the busiest times of the year, it’s already quite stressful to begin with.

To help you get everything in order, we’ve compiled some great tips and pieces of advice on how you can fully prepare yourself for Christmas.

Know Your Space 

It’s no secret that Christmas festivities can come with a lot of decorations. However, you don’t want to overdo it and make your store difficult to navigate. Plan your space wisely and don’t make browsing difficult for your customers. In terms of decorations, remember to utilise the windows and floors with things such as vinyl stickers. This is a sure-fire way to add plenty of festive cheer without compromising your customer’s experience.

Extra Shelving 

As it’s such a busy time of year, it’s understandable that your stock levels are going to need to be a little bit higher than normal. To accommodate this, you might need to install some extra shelving. A popular and proven way to do this is through the use of Slatwall panel inserts. Slatwall has long been a popular choice thanks to its versatility and ability to transform any surface into a high-quality shelving space.

Know Your Customers

Shopping during the festive period isn’t just stressful for retailers, it can be incredibly stressful for customers too. They’re trying to purchase their loved ones gifts, but they might be on a schedule and not looking to hang around each shop for too long. Because of this, be proactive and place your most popular items near the front of the store, retail display bins are a great way to do this. Not only that, but dump bins can be a great method of encouraging the sale of stocking fillers. Place these near pay points and you’ll soon see the results for yourself.

Maintain Your Shelves

Keep an eye on stock levels, you’ll want to ensure that you don’t have empty shelves at any point. Another key factor to think about is, how organised are your shelves? Do your shelves have brackets and a ticket strip so your customers can easily locate products? Making the shopping experience quick and painless for the consumer is the key to success during the festive period.

Keep Your Staff Up to Date

Ensure that your staff are aware of any changes made in the store. From the change in layout to additional stock and decoration regulations, updating your staff should be top of your priority list. After all, communication is vital to a successful festive retail season. By following these tips, you’ll be sure to have a successful festive season. Remember to take some time to enjoy it, after all, it’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Joyce Laroche