There are always last-minute shoppers. Maybe they forgot that a second cousin’s girlfriend was coming to Christmas dinner this year, maybe they have struggled with what the perfect gift is for their partner, or perhaps they have just been busy and ran out of time. Whatever the reason, you want to get them into your store for those late-in-the-game purchases.
Here are a few suggestions for last-minute Christmas marketing ideas:
- Offer bulk gift cards at a discount.
Many late shoppers end up buying the whole family gift cards. If you advertise that you’ll give a discount for gift card purchases, that is sure to catch the last-minute shopper’s eye. You could offer something such as “ Two $25 gift cards for $45” or “ 10 $15 gift cards for $140”. Even just a few dollars in savings will get their attention.
Offering a free greeting card with gift card purchases can also sweeten the deal. You can buy them in bulk inexpensively. Decorate them with a typical Christmas setting on the front but also place your store logo on the card for free advertising.
This gets the gift recipients into your store and there is a good chance they will spend more than the original gift card amount. It also might gain you a long-term customer.
- Offer free gift wrapping
If the last-minute shopper doesn’t go with a gift card and they go with a physical gift, they will be interested in free gift wrapping. It is convenient for the customer as it saves time and money. Many people aren’t confident in their wrapping skills and a professional-looking wrap job will push that perfect gift over the top.
You could also put out a donation jar and let customers know you will donate all money from the gift wrapping booth to a local charity.
- Give customers targeted gift suggestions
Someone may be shopping close to Christmas because they are struggling to find the perfect gift for a certain person. Help them out with targeted gift suggestions such as “ Gifts for kids ages 5-8” or “ Gifts for dads”.
- Free and fast shipping
Some folks are shopping last minute because they don’t have time to get to the store at all. Offering free and/or fast shipping that has a ‘ before Christmas’ guarantee will be a gimmick that will catch their attention.
- Advertise the deals!
The last suggestion on our list and definitely the most important is to let customers know about your deals. You could use a banner to let passersby know about your gift card special, a flag advertising free gift wrapping, or maybe a sidewalk sign reading “ Gifts for moms”.
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