The Christmas holiday is crucial for retailers to boost sales and maximise profits.

During this time, retailers witnessed a significant surge in activity and business, primarily driven by the tradition of gift-giving and heightened consumer spending to fulfil festive needs.

This heightened demand prompts retailers to extend their operating hours and experience a surge in online orders.

The combination of consumer behaviour, strategic promotional efforts, and the unique nature of holiday traditions collectively results in retailers being at their most bustling state.

According to eMarketer, the total retail sales growth will continue rising 4.5% to $1.328 trillion for the 2023 holiday season in America.

Seizing the opportunities presented during this season is important for retailers aiming to achieve their annual targets and set the stage for more success in the upcoming year.

These are five tips to unlock holiday sales success.

Especially in a year of inflation, rises in price can lead to behavioural changes in customers’ spending habits, which is bad news for businesses.

This inflation, which increased month-on-month in all of 2023 and is at 28.2% for November in Nigeria, drives consumer demand for loyalty programs.

The hack is to introduce festive promotions to break the behavioural change in customer spend.

The holiday season is synonymous with joy and giving, making it the perfect time to introduce special promotions that resonate with your target audience.

Develop enticing offers like limited-time discounts, bundle deals, or exclusive holiday-themed promotions.

Use festive language and visuals in your marketing materials to evoke the spirit of the season and create a sense of urgency among potential customers.

In our increasingly digital era, optimising your online presence is essential for capturing shoppers’ attention, especially during the holidays.

The festive season brings a whirlwind of activities, from hosting gatherings to spending quality time with friends and family, making it challenging for individuals to allocate time for traditional in-store shopping.

Online shopping, with its unparalleled convenience, becomes a lifeline for those seeking efficiency in their holiday preparations.

Our business must be poised to leverage the potential of online commerce to thrive in this evolving retail landscape.

According to credible 2023 holiday trends and predictions, 67% of consumers plan to prioritise online shopping over in-store visits for the upcoming holiday season.

Ensuring your website is mobile-friendly and user-friendly is paramount to providing customers with a seamless and enjoyable shopping experience.

Fincra offers tools to streamline online transactions, from Checkout to Payment Links and Virtual Accounts.

These tools empower customers to make payments using diverse methods, including cards, bank transfers, and mobile money.

By providing a variety of secure and convenient payment options, you enhance the overall customer experience and cultivate loyalty.

Offering flexibility in payment methods is a strategic move that caters to diverse preferences and motivates customers to return to your business for future transactions.

As the holiday season approaches, positioning your online platform for success becomes a pivotal step in meeting the evolving needs of today’s shoppers.

Embarking on a journey to embrace a healthier lifestyle through exercise, my friend had a goal – to start playing football.

However, with a busy schedule, he found it difficult to make time for a simple yet essential task: purchasing football boots.

One day, as he scrolled through Facebook, serendipity struck. An older woman had taken to the platform to showcase football boots for sale at her shop.

Swiftly seizing the opportunity, my friend engaged with her, selected the perfect size and type of boots and negotiated the price – all through the convenience of Facebook messaging.

The next day, he visited her shop, paid, and walked away with his brand-new football boots.

What made this story intriguing was the unexpected seller: an older woman who had decided to leverage the power of social media to showcase her products.

My friend wouldn’t have discovered her shop without this digital platform, given its distant location from his residence.

This story underscores the transformative power of social media. According to LocaliQ, 56% of people use social media to research products or services during the holidays, highlighting the platform’s significance in consumer decision-making.

Recognising this, businesses can harness social media’s potential by developing a robust marketing strategy tailored to holiday promotions.

Utilise visually engaging content such as festive images, videos, and gift ideas to captivate your audience. Implement targeted advertisements to reach specific demographics, effectively promoting your holiday offers.

Additionally, consider fostering brand engagement through user-generated content, such as holiday-themed contests or giveaways.

For seamless transactions, Fincra offers a game-changing tool – Payment Links.

This tool allows retailers to connect with customers on social media, facilitating payment collection within the same communication channel.

No redirection to external websites is needed, enhancing the customer experience and simplifying the purchasing process.

Tailoring the shopping experience through personalisation is crucial for leaving a lasting impression. Integrate strategies that customise the customer journey, such as offering personalised product recommendations, launching targeted email campaigns, or extending exclusive discounts based on individual purchase history.

Express appreciation for loyalty by acknowledging and rewarding customers with personalised holiday greetings and special offers, fostering a sense of recognition and incentivising repeat business.

Employing personalised customer experiences enhances immediate satisfaction and establishes a solid foundation for customer retention.

It’s essential to remember that the customer relationship extends beyond the holiday season. Utilise this festive period to create a memorable impact on customers, paving the way for continued patronage.

Prioritising a personalised approach to customer service is a strategic tactic for customer retention, considering the challenge of acquiring new customers compared to maintaining existing ones.

Seize the low-hanging fruit this holiday season by providing a tailored and personalised customer experience, solidifying your relationship with shoppers and encouraging repeat purchases.

Payment matters so much to both parties in a business transaction, with massive significance over the business’s success and the overall customer experience.

Money, as the catalyst for every transaction, underscores the critical nature of the payment process in the business realm, especially during the holiday season.

Recognising the pivotal role of payment, businesses must prioritise partnering with payment service providers who can facilitate a seamless process, particularly during the bustling holiday season.

Fincra is that payment partner. Fincra has all the tools for businesses to manage their holiday sales seamlessly.

Fincra has Checkout for businesses to sell online and reach more customers. Fincra also offers Payment links enabling retailers to collect payments without a website.

With Fincra Checkout and Payment Links, businesses can enable customers to pay with cards, bank transfers, M-PESA and Mobile Money, ensuring a delightful experience.

Fincra also offers Virtual Accounts for retail merchants to receive bank transfer payments. Bank transfer is currently the most popular payment method in Nigeria, and Fincra can help businesses take advantage of this payment trend to satisfy their customers.

As the holiday season presents a unique window of opportunity, businesses are encouraged to make the most of it by aligning with the proper payment solutions.

Fincra is right here to help you succeed during this critical period.

Embark on this journey by creating a free account with Fincra to meet your payment needs and unlock the potential for increased sales this holiday season.

Seize the moment, make the right choices, and position your business for a successful future.