Preparing For the Black Friday Rush

The hectic sales of Black Friday affects all business. Retailers get slammed with skyrocketing demand, while many other types of businesses experience a slow season. Let’s look at some ways for all businesses to prepare for the shopping frenzy after Turkey Day.

For retailers:

·         Staff up: You may need to hire seasonal help to meet the increased demand. Ensure that all employees are educated on how to handle the shopping rush and customer service concerns.

·         Stock up: Ensure that you have enough product, particularly trending items, to meet the increased demand. Empty shelves means lost sales. Order extra supplies well in advance to leave room for unexpected delays in delivery.

·         Sales and promotions: Black Friday is driven by deals. Retailers try to one-up each other, offering limited quantities of reduced-price goods. By offering great deals, you incentivize more people to visit your store, who often buying more than just sale items. You may even choose to advertise free gift wrapping.

·         Adjust marketing and hours: Your marketing efforts should be increased during this time to promote big sales, both in print and online. You may also consider adjusting your hours of operation to suit the influx of shoppers. Be sure to post these new hours on store doors, in marketing materials and on your business’ website.

·         Check your website: Make sure every link and button on your website is working properly. Information should be up-to-date and sales should be clearly marked. Online shopping increases on Black Friday and you don’t want to lose business because of a technical glitch.

For other businesses:

·         Talk to your staff: Keep your staff informed about any changes over the holidays. You may need to reduce their hours or you may close the business for a few days. An informed staff has the opportunity to plan their holiday schedules accordingly.

·         Adjust marketing and hours: If you’re expecting business to be slow on Black Friday, it’s a good idea to reduce your marketing efforts during that time to eliminate unnecessary costs. You can then put your efforts into announcing post-holiday sales or promotions, when people aren’t as busy shopping. To that note, you may choose to reduce your hours of operation or close for a few days. Make sure the seasonal hours are posted on store doors and on your business’ website.

·         Check Security: If your business will be closed for Black Friday (or longer), you may want to beef up your security to reduce the risk of theft and vandalism. Security cameras and alarm systems are popular options.