Is Your Store Ready For Black Friday?

We are officially one week away from the biggest shopping day of the entire year! Black Friday arrives on November 23rd and although it started as an American tradition (it’s the day after Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.), Canadians have largely taken to buying their holiday gifts on this very exciting occasion.

Known for their significantly reduced prices, Black Friday sales attract customers from all over the country. Even though Cyber Monday is generally reserved for internet-sales only, Black Friday is also known for offering online shoppers many a great discount as well. Is your store ready for Black Friday?

Put together a holiday gift guide.

An excellent way to attract Black Friday shoppers is to make very clear that your store can be recognized as a one-stop shop for all holiday shopping needs. Your company website should have vivid displays of your Black Friday sales including photos of your most popular products complete with their amazing low prices. According to Giedrė on MaxTraffic.com, it’s never too early to begin promoting your holiday sales.

“According to the National Research Federation, 40% of customers begin researching their holiday shopping as early as October,” she informs, “Shopping for your loved ones can sometimes be quite a challenge. That’s why people look for inspiration online. And that’s where gift guides can really come in handy.”

Stock up on inventory to meet increased demands.

If you’ve yet to fill your store with all of the merchandise you intend on selling next week, it is best you get on the phone with your supplier right away! The last thing you want is to run out of stock only to disappoint your shoppers who won’t be likely to ever return. On Shopify.ca, Corey Ferreira discusses the importance of ensuring your supply meets the demand.

“If you rely on a supplier for your inventory, or your product is created or manufactured by you or your team, consider the increased demand you’ll experience during the holiday season,” he advises, “Work with your suppliers and ensure they’re prepared to handle your projected sales for the holiday season. One of the worst things that can happen during a sale is selling out faster than you wanted to and not meeting the demand of your customers.”

Go email and tweet crazy!

Making use of online marketing is a must each holiday season. In the week leading up to Black Friday, this is especially true. Be sure to send out email newsletters to remind your subscribers of your upcoming Black Friday sale. And definitely make use of your social media accounts to spread the word about the savings your store will be offering.

“Tease your customers with emails of what’s to come, post sneak peeks of upcoming sales on social media, and start piquing the curiosity of your customers,” encourages Ferreira, “The sooner you begin doing this, the more momentum you will have during Black Friday Cyber Monday when you finally announce the sale.”

Of course, it would also be a good idea to ensure that your POS system will be able to efficiently handle all of the upcoming debit card and credit card transactions you’ll be processing. No terminal does it better than the Poynt Smart Terminal! For more information about how you can upgrade, call Canadian POS at 1-877-748-2884 or email us at info@localhost.