Along with spending time with family and friends, consumers now see Easter as a prime time for shopping. In 2015, US consumers spent an astonishing $16.4 billion on Easter toys and treats. [1] What’s more, in recent years Easter shopping has moved online, with e-sales during the holidays now dwarfing those made on the high street. [2]
So, with consumers increasingly attracted to a crowded online marketplace, how can you ensure that you boost sales during the busy Easter period? Here are five handy tips that will help you maximize sales over the Easter break:
1. Deliver the right message at the right time
It’s essential to deliver the right message to consumers. Seasonal advertising is now so ingrained in consumer’s minds that they expect to be targeted, as brands battle for attention during this busy period. With this in mind, it is important that retailers tap into expectations and create a buzz in the weeks leading up to Easter.
2. Focus on value
Over an Easter bank holiday sales are rife and, as a result, advertising focusing on value and securing a bargain is most effective. Sales encourage customers to think in the now and become more impatient; this is something that the most successful retailers will capitalize on in their marketing.
3. Tap into customer emotions
Retailers should think about activities popular with consumers outside of shopping that they can weave into messaging. For example, Easter is a time when people reflect on themselves, their families and their homes.
Over Easter, retailers have a fantastic opportunity to tap into the consumer desire to reconnect with others by adding emotional value to messaging. This can be about ‘making life better’ or around spending quality time with loved ones.
4. Optimize channels
Retailers need to optimize all sales channels during Easter in the same way they would for any peak shopping period. Factors outside their control, such as the weather, could lead to enormous fluctuations in mobile vs desktop vs physical space sales. [3]
Today, retailers need to be ready across multiple channels, especially mobile, but this becomes all the more important when propensity to spend is high. Easter is the perfect example of when being mobile optimized is a must have for smaller retailers looking to keep up with big players.
5. Don’t forget the post holiday blues
Its not just the weeks and days leading up to Easter that can be profitable; retailers should also look to capitalize on the potential of ‘post holiday blues’. [4] Data suggests that organizations experience a 25% rise in sales directly after a public holiday, compared to the two weeks prior to it. Retailers should be prepared for this boom by planning post-holiday campaigns well in advance, and ensure that they tweak messaging to match customer sentiment.
Maximizing returns
With Easter on the horizon, retailers have a fantastic opportunity to finish the first quarter of 2016 on a real high. An awareness of what messaging works, the importance of using different channels, and making sure that you truly know your customer can all contribute to maximizing sales.
[1] https://www.fundivo.com/stats/easter-statistics-trends/
[2] https://www.internetretailer.com/2014/04/09/online-easter-shoppers-will-spend-more-store-shoppers
[3] http://www.drapersonline.com/online-shopping-booms-over-easter-weekend/5048082.fullarticle
[4] http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/bank-holiday-monday-spending-spree-be-boosted-day-after-25-surge-1449773
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