Growing Sales Ahead Of Victoria Day Long Weekend

For most Canadians, the Victoria Day long weekend marks the unofficial start of summer. The team, here at Synergy Merchants, hopes that Mother Nature hasn’t forgotten the City of Toronto. Quite frankly, the weather has been awful all week long – cold and rainy – nothing like what mid-May is supposed to feel like.

Here’s hoping that, in your neck of the woods, the forthcoming Victoria Day long weekend will bring warmth and sunshine…and a lot of sales for your business! The yearly holiday marks a great time for business owners to boost sales. But what are the most effective ways of growing sales ahead of “May 2-4”?

Offer discounts for last season’s items.

Since this upcoming weekend is the unofficial start of summer, many people will be only too happy to host parties, start barbequing and enjoy the company of family and friends. It means that many of your winter and spring-based items are no longer in hot demand. Promote the fact that you will be selling them at reduced prices in order to clear some inventory to make space for the summer-based items your customers will want in the weeks to come.

“For clothing stores, the change of season marks the time for you to put all of last season’s items on sale,” says Tracy Blanchard on ShopKeep.com, “Items that were once hot and trendy that have now been replaced by the next hot and trendy item can be put on sale…You also don’t want to ignore slow-moving items, whether seasonal or not. You don’t want old inventory hanging around your business, collecting dust, and taking up valuable shelf space.”

Set up a sidewalk display.

If the weather in your town is better than the weather we’re currently having in Toronto, a sidewalk sale may be in order. When the weather is warm, it’s always wise to open up the front doors of your store to bring some of your products outside. What better way to catch the attention of walkers-by?

“Window and sidewalk displays can attract foot traffic and help you stand out from surrounding stores,” informs Maria Christensen on Chron.com, “In the case of window displays, more is not always better. An elaborate display overwhelms some potential customers and takes more time to set up. Instead, focus your window display to just a few popular items or new products.”

Host an event.

There are many people who will be missing out on the cottage-going and beach-enjoying activities that are popular during the Victoria Day long weekend. So why not bring the party to them? Host a long weekend event that will offer your customers fun times (music and free refreshments would be nice) as well as some special opportunities to enjoy savings in your store.

“Giving customers a unique experience at your store can help bring more people in the door and, ideally, boost sales,” writes Blanchard, “Holding a holiday party, a themed event or a class can be a way to entertain and/or educate clients about your products or services. If the event is successful, you can count on more people coming to the next one, making this a powerful promotional idea for retail stores.”

No matter the advertising method you choose ahead of the Victoria Day long weekend, Synergy Merchants can help you with your new marketing campaign. For information about our unique merchant cash advance program, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-877-718-2026 or email us at info@synergymerchants.com.