Merchandising and Marketing

25 Ways to Boost Your Holiday Sales and Profits

Once the holiday season is underway, there's a lot you can do to land more sales and bank as much profit as possible, no matter what the economic climate. The key is to be proactive. Don't sit back and let the holiday season unfold before you. If you want the most sales possible, it's up to you to take charge and make it happen.

Holiday Strategies: An Industry Roundtable

Five industry leaders candidly discuss the opportunities and challenges facing specialty retailers this holiday season.

Guide to Holiday Profits 2006

To help you make 2006 a blockbuster year for your business, Specialty Retail Report presents its first annual Guide to Holiday Profits.

Whether you're a first-time specialty retailer with one kiosk, or a seasoned retailer with dozens of stores, our goal is to give you the information you need to plan an effective strategy for the season. Information you'll need to establish realistic sales benchmarks, adapt to changing conditions as the season progresses and outperform the competition. To have the best season ever, you have to plan ahead. And then, as the saying goes, work the plan.

To that end, in this year's Guide you'll find key holiday statistics and buying pattern information, including details on selling techniques that really work, tips to boost early sales, holiday staffing advice, theft-prevention information, and even a few stress-reduction techniques you might want to use. Information that will make holiday business more efficient and your retail life more enjoyable.

The State of Specialty Retail: An Industry Roundtable

Six industry leaders recap the 2005 holiday season, discuss current challenges and forecast where future opportunities lie.

Holiday Sales Start-Up Calendar

If you're planning to launch your first cart, kiosk or temporary in-line for the 2006 holiday season, the key to your holiday sales–months from now–lies in the steps you take today.

A Booming Business

Every October 31st, more than 50 million American kids and adults celebrate Halloween. With the average consumer spending $45 for costumes, accessories, candy, home décor and more—a total of $3.12 billion in 2004 and even more in 2005—Halloween business is booming.

Selling the Season

Every business day counts toward the bottom line, of course. But for the holiday selling season, you really need to be on your game. When you make holiday shopping a good experience for your customers, you make it good—and profitable—for you. And it starts now.

It's A Wrap!

Bags, tags, boxes and bows. Gift-wrapping customers' holiday purchases not only makes the gift look pretty—it makes your retail business look good.

Merry Ideas for Great Holiday Sales

If you're looking toward the holiday with more dread than delight, you're not alone. Many shell-shocked retailers have their ghosts of Christmas past: Rude customers who insult the staff. Extra store hours that squeeze personal time. Customers (or their kids) who break merchandise. Product that doesn't arrive. Browsers who don't buy but ask plenty of questions. And—the icing on the plum pudding—employees who call in sick, making things busier and more stressful for staffers who do show up to serve your holiday customers.

POP Go Your Holiday Sales

Want to increase sales without spending lots of time and money? Who doesn't! Here's a look at smart ways to use point-of-purchase displays to "POP" your sales—just in time for the holidays.