The Christmas season is the most important time of year for businesses that sell seasonal products. Overall the UK is planning to spend £25.6 billion this year on Christmas gifting, up from last year’s figure of £24.2 billion (This spending spree is driven by a combination of factors, including the following:
people are in a giving mood during the holidays;
they have more free time to shop during the holidays;
they want to take advantage of holiday sales;
they need to buy gifts for friends and family;
they want to take advantage of holiday shipping deadlines.
The holiday season is a great time to boost sales by creating holiday-themed products for your customers. Brainstorming some ideas and then sourcing or creating the products is the way to go. Here are some tips on how to get started.
Create a list of ideas
Get a group of people together—either virtually or in person—and create a list of potential holiday-themed products. Consider what kinds of items would be popular with your target audience and try to come up with a decent product mix.
If you don’t have strong products, you won’t have strong sales. How do you come up with winning product ideas? Below are four brainstorming techniques that will help get your creative juices flowing.
Read all the eCommerce Digital Marketing Christmas Guides
Look for gaps in the market
One of the best ways to find untapped product opportunities is to look for gaps in the market. In other words, what products or services are missing from your industry? To find out, start by taking a close look at your competition. Identify their weaknesses and then determine how you can fill those gaps with your own products or services.
Keep your eye on industry trends
Keeping tabs on industry trends is another great way to spot potential product opportunities. By monitoring trends, you can get a feel for what consumers are interested in and then develop products that meet those needs. There are a number of ways to track industry trends, including reading trade publications and blogs, attending trade shows, and talking to other industry insiders
Poll your customers and prospects
Your customers and prospects are a valuable resource when it comes to brainstorming new product ideas. After all, they’re the ones who will ultimately be using your products or services, so it only makes sense to get their input during the ideation process. There are a few different ways to poll your target audience, including surveys, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews. Be sure to ask open-ended questions that will give them the opportunity to really share their thoughts and feedback with you.
Top Tip: Offer express shipping options. People are willing to pay extra for express shipping during the holidays. Offering this option will give you a competitive advantage and help you close more sales.
Brainstorm with your team
The people who work closest to you have the best pulse on what consumers want and need. In addition, they likely have some great insights into your existing product line that you may not have considered before. When brainstorming as a team, it’s important to encourage everyone to share their ideas freely without judgment or criticism. The goal is to generate as many ideas as possible.
Sourcing products
If you don't have the time or resources to create the products yourself, then you'll need to source them from elsewhere. Sourcing products for your store doesn't have to be difficult or expensive—if you know where to look. Try contacting suppliers who specialize in holiday-themed merchandise and see if they have any products that would be a good fit for your business. You can also check online marketplaces like Etsy or Alibaba for holiday-themed products that you can resell.
Use social media to find trending products
Social media is a great way to see what's hot right now. Just take a look at Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to see what people are talking about. You can also use hashtags to find popular products in your niche. For example, if you sell children's toys, you can search for hashtags like #toysforkids or #christmas.
Work with suppliers to get the best deals
One of the best ways to get great deals on products is to work directly with suppliers. Many suppliers offer discounts for bulk orders, so it pays to plan ahead. You can also ask for discounts on shipping or payment terms. And don't be afraid to negotiate! The worst they can say is no.
Compare prices online before you buy
When you're sourcing products for your store, it's important to compare prices from different suppliers before making a purchase. There are lots of great price comparison websites out there, like Google Shopping and Amazon Prime Pantry. You never know when you might find a better deal elsewhere.
Source locally when possible
Supporting local businesses is always a good idea, but it can also be helpful when you're trying to source products for your store. When you buy from local suppliers, you can often get better deals and faster shipping times.
Top Tip: Plan for post-holiday sales. Don’t forget about post-holiday sales! Many people do their holiday shopping after Christmas, so make sure you have some great deals lined up for those late shoppers.
Creating products
If you're going to be creating the products yourself, then you'll need to start by gather all the supplies you'll need. Make sure you have everything on hand before you start so that you don't get halfway through and realize you're missing an important component.
People love unique, one-of-a-kind items, and if you can create something that's both beautiful and functional, you're sure to secure sales. Here are four tips to get you started:
Do your research
Before you start making anything, it's important to do your research and find out what kinds of products are selling well this Christmas. What are people looking for? What are they willing to spend money on? What trends are popular right now? Once you have a good understanding of what people want, you can start thinking about how you can create something that meets those needs.
Get creative
This is where your imagination comes in! Once you know what people are looking for, it's time to start brainstorming ideas for products that will fit the bill. Think outside the box and come up with something unique that nobody else is selling. If you can tap into a trend that's popular right now, even better.
Start small
You don't need to make a huge batch of products all at once. Start small and see how things go. If your first few products selling well, then you can always make more later on down the line. There's no sense in spending a lot of time and money on something that might not even sell! Better to play it safe in the beginning and ramp up production as needed.
Keep your prices reasonable
Remember, people are looking for bargains during the Christmas shopping season. Don't price yourself out of the market by charging too much for your products. Find a happy medium between making a profit and making sure your prices are competitive enough to attract buyers.
Reach out to holiday gift guides
If you can get your products featured in holiday gift guides, you'll be in a great position to boost your sales. Here's how:
Make a list of places you want to be featured
The first step is to make a list of all the places you want your products to be featured. This could include popular blogs, magazines, newspapers, and websites. Once you have your list, you can start reaching out to the editors and writers at these places.
Research the guidelines for each publication
Before you start reaching out to publications, it's important that you research the guidelines for each one. Many publications have specific requirements for what they're looking for in products to feature. If you don't meet these requirements, your product won't even be considered.
Reach out and make your pitch
Once you've done your research and you know that your product meets the requirements for the publications on your list, it's time to reach out and make your pitch. Be sure to send along high-quality images of your product as well as a press release or pitch deck explaining why it would make a great addition to their holiday gift guide.
Follow up and be persistent
If you don't hear back from a publication right away, don't give up. Follow up with them after a week or two and see if they need any additional information from you. Remember, persistence is key when trying to get your products featured in holiday gift guides.
Boost your eCommerce visibility with Christmas products
The holiday season is a great opportunity to boost sales by creating holiday-themed products for your customers. There are opportunities to source or create your products, then have them featured in holiday gift guides.
Interested to learn more?
We are PR experts with experience landing articles in newspapers and blogs. We also carry out customer research, with our database of local customers, and have offices to facilitate brainstorming sessions. Simply get in touch by email at hello@treattorbay.co.uk or book in time with Treat using the diary below: