The festive season is just around the corner. Nothing says you’re back in business after the endless series of lockdowns than an awe-inspiring storefront. You want people to stop and be pleasantly surprised by how your store presents products, themes and sales opportunities. The in-person shopping experience has this one-up on online shopping because, being able to physically touch decorations and experience the music, mood and smells of the festive theme, is second to none. All across the land, many businesses will be doing the same, so what makes yours so special? What should you do, to truly stand out from the rest?
The lighthouse effect
The number one thing you need to focus on is presenting your store’s sign. You need customers to see your name, from hundreds of meters away if required. If you’re in a mall, you want customers to spot your business, from many hundreds of meters away from the entrance. So here’s how you should be creating a good shop sign. Get the words of your name to look sharp, bright, and in-keeping with the theme of the season. Consider leaving your color scheme as it is, but add a festive costume to your mascot, add some bells and holly to the ends of the sign. Consider having a fascia sign which is 3D. This is better for lighting with individual lights too, instead of using a large LED backlight.
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Characters and scene
The best storefronts will present a scene that is both festive and fun to observe. If you are a makeup brand, then have some elves holding foundation pads, have Santa Clause with some lipstick and eyeliner products in his sack. Place some eyelashes on the reindeer as well as some foundation brushes hanging from their antlers, etc. Get creative and think of a scene that would be both festive and relevant to your business. If you’re a tech company, have some elves partially wrapping your products. The reindeer can be sat watching television or perhaps Santa can be on a smartphone taking a selfie. These are the types of things that make people stop in their tracks!
A greeter’s job
A greeter’s job is never done as they say. You could have a greeter stand at the entrance with some spiced biscuits and nonalcoholic beverages such as egg nog, apple cider and coffee. A small cup of a hot drink goes a long way in making customers feel comfortable and cared for. You can also have greeters wear a festive costume, dressed up as an elf, a reindeer, snowman, etc. if you have a sale going on or perhaps a special festive product opportunity, greeters should hand our fliers of the particular marketing scheme. Just as you would send promotional email marketing messages, this should be done in-person too, to remind customers who are leaving.
An awesome storefront has to be creatively genius. Using characters and figures, create a scene that makes your business relevant in the whole rush and joy of the holidays.