Canton's Office of Economic Development

Small Business Holiday Guide

The holidays are nearly upon us! And here in beautiful Canton, NY it is time to start thinking about the holiday shopping season.

2020 presents a unique challenge given the persistent influence of COVID-19 on consumer spending and shopping habits, as well as the incredible importance of trying to recoup lost sales from the roller coaster of government shutdowns and reopenings.

We are hoping that the following information and ideas may present you with a few thoughts or options as you move forward toward a successful and safe holiday season!

The Numbers

Even without COVID, it's hard to underestimate the importance of holiday shopping for small retail business - according to the National Retail Federation, holiday sales represent about 20% of annual retail sales each year, with some types coming in even higher.

With the challenges of COVID, there are some competing interests surrounding holiday shopping on our Main Streets - on one hand, there is a desire to have a traditional holiday shopping experience, while on the other hand there is continued fear around the virus and many shoppers have gotten used to the convenience of delivery and pick-up options.

For more information regarding holiday shopping trends and what you may  expect to see during the holiday season, check out these recent surveys from Google and Radial. Both suggest what we will likely see is a blend between the two above conditions, with holiday shopping remaining strong despite the economy.


So What Does This All Mean For Me?

Given the data, the 2020 holiday shopping season will look nothing like the traditional experience-driven seasons of the past. As such, here are some thoughts on how you can be even more creative as you seek to attract shoppers back:

1. Manage Inventory Closely
Be even more judicious with your holiday inventory purchases. Given the unknowns around COVID spikes and perhaps reclosure orders, being saddled with a ton of inventory is not a situation most small businesses can afford. In addition, with limited cash on hand, taking on debt for inventory may be a challenge and not an exciting proposition for most small businesses. Seek out vendors that are positioned with small lead times to ensure quick turnaround as you spot fast moving inventory.

2. Ensure Promptness on Delivery
With issues surrounding the US Postal Service, be transparent in your delivery policy as well as continuing to offer buy online, pick up at the store, and/or curbside options.

3. Promote Clean and Safe
As part of your holiday marketing, rather than being completely product and sales driven, capture the work you've done to create a safe shopping experience for those heavily concerned with COVID.  As consumers have been to more businesses throughout the past few months, they will be keenly aware and will have created a defined mindset as to what is safe and not safe for them. As such, be diligent and very visual with how you clean your store as well as visual cleaning and safety protocols you have in place for customers and employees.

4. Appeal to Local 
Consumer research is revealing the importance of supporting local businesses as part of shopping decisions. Tell your story of connection to and support for the local community as a value-add component to shopping during the holiday. Consumers will want to talk to family and friends about supporting local, further giving your business a boost on social media channels.

5. Bring Exclusivity to the Holidays
Offer private holiday shopping events or "by appointment only" during normally closed hours - make this available exclusively to your most engaged customers, or those that sign up, etc.

6. Generate Excitement and Surprise with In-Store Pop Ups
Consider hosting an in-store pop-up to generate additional excitement with unique product offerings, without the added cost of new inventory. Partner with another store or a local artisan to offer exclusive access to merchandise they offer, only available during your "pop-up" event. This will not only drive sales for your partner, but will also help drive people to your location where they can see what you have to offer as well.

7. Partition Your Store Hours
While most retailers during the holiday shopping season may lengthen their store hours, we would advise taking this a set farther by offering special shopping hours for specific customer groups. Not only does lengthening your store hours allow for greater dispersion of consumers to avoid crowding and having to turn away customers due to your local/state occupancy guidelines, it also provides an opportunity to carve out special hours for those most vulnerable and concerned about COVID, such as senior citizens and/or those with pre-existing medical conditions.

8. Segment Sales/Specials
Given that research suggests shoppers will spread out their shopping over a period of time resulting in a likely elongated 2020 holiday shopping season, consider presenting a new featured, limited item/product each week rather than agglomerating items for one big sale. It's all about building a sense of exclusivity and keeping them coming back, rather than a one-shot approach.