The period between Black Friday and Christmas Eve is undoubtedly the busiest shopping period of the year for retailers, whilst this can be a positive, there are also many challenges that retailers are faced with. Read on for some handy tips on how to tackle these problems this holiday season.
Reduce Store Overcrowding
One of the main things customers loathe about Christmas shopping is how overcrowded and stuffy shops can get. Too many customers in one store at a time is stressful for both the shoppers and the retail staff. Retailers can help to avoid or lessen this by offering click and collect, so that customers don’t have to spend a long time browsing and can choose what they need from the comfort of their own home and simply pop in to the store, collect their purchase and leave. This option for shopping is becoming increasingly popular, according to Radial‘s study, nearly half of all participants from the study said that they would choose to pick up their online goods in store. In the UK 54% of participants said that they would do this, and that the main reason was for convenience and delivery time. Star’s CloudPRNT solution offers receipt and order printing from a remote server to a Star printer in store, without the need for a local POS terminal. This enables stores to print click and collect receipts, creating a more streamlined experience for both customer and retailer.
Shorten Long Queues
Overcrowded stores can also mean queues snaking out of the shop door. Long queues are the biggest reason shoppers will turn away from a store; it can often feel stressful and a waste of time when people have more shopping to get done in a short amount of time. One way retailers can avoid losing out on purchases is to use mobile printers to check customers out while they’re in the queue. Star offers a wide range of mobile printers equipped with Bluetooth and that are Apple, iOS, Android, Linux and windows compatible. Meaning they can be connected to your tablet POS effortlessly.
Reward Loyal Customers
Being able to offer discounts or vouchers to customers around the holiday season, especially to loyal customers is important. Star offers the ability to easily customise receipts to suit store branding, also giving retailers the option to add discounts or vouchers on their receipts. This helps to encourage repeat purchases. Not only will this help retailers stand out, but it has become increasingly important to customers that retailers and brands make them feel valued, such as giving tailored discounts.
Pick the Right POS Solution for Your Store
Providing additional till points for customers to make their purchases, especially in a larger store, is another way of reducing congestion and queues. The Star TSP100 is ideal for stationing at different till points across the shop floor; the unique set up utility reduces installation time, even with multiple printers. The utility is able to copy the printer’s settings to multiple units in different sites around the shop, saving installation time for each printer. Alternatively, the Star mPOP is ideal for smaller Christmas pop-up shops, combining a cash drawer with a receipt printer, the mPOP is compact, sleek and easy to set up with the POS software of your choice. Capable of connecting via Bluetooth to Apple, Android, Windows or Linux devices, with an optional space saving under desk mounting bracket, it’s the perfect solution for seasonal stores needing a simple to set up, compact and aesthetically pleasing POS system.
These tips will definitely help make the holiday season a little less manic, something both customers and retailers will appreciate.
