Top Holiday Marketing Tips for Food and Beverage Retailers for 2016

The holiday season has arrived yet again, and this year the hustle and bustle means that your customers will give you the perfect opportunity to end the year on a high note. Retailers are opening their doors earlier than ever to accommodate demand and launching sales promotions even earlier. The good news is that you don’t need to have crazy holiday hours to take advantage of all the opportunities the holiday season has to offer. We’ve got some easy marketing tips to help you make the most of the busy holiday shopping season.

Use your Sales Forecasts to Manage your Inventory

Having an idea of how much to stock of which products, or whether you need to hire some additional seasonal employees, can make the busy season go much smoother. Keep in mind your suppliers and their order deadlines to ensure you will have plenty of what you need to meet customer demand.

Leverage your Location

You know your customers and your community best, so use your surroundings to help you prepare for the holidays. If your tasting room is located near a shopping center, take note of what retailers are around you, what holiday hours they will be operating, and whether or not they will be running any special events or promotions. Customers camped out in line waiting for a nearby store to open? Treat them so some samples while they wait and tell them about your holiday plans. Send a complimentary bottle of wine to store managers after their crazy Black Friday sale to congratulate a job well done, or invite retail employees for a tasting.

Sample

Often times during the holidays customers are shopping for others more than for themselves, and they may  not have an idea exactly what would make the best gift. Offering samples to guests and training your employees to make suggestions and recommendations are great ways to make their purchase process much easier. Host a holiday tasting event to help customers get to know your wines better or deliver some samples to surrounding businesses to perk them up during the holiday rush.

Promote Gift Cards

Gift Cards are the quick and easy gift that everybody loves to receive. Many restaurants and retailers offer
incentives early in the season, such as a free $5 gift card when you purchase $25 worth of additional cards. Simply displaying gift cards next to your register or creating some printed marketing materials making customers aware that you offer gift cards can help boost this part of your marketing plan. Training employees to suggestive sell them is another great way to maximize the potential that gift cards have to offer.

Offer Customer Incentives

Everyone is looking for a good deal. Utilizing a purchase incentive can boost sales and help manage inventory for your holiday products. If you already offer a customer rewards program. throw in a bonus offer or something exclusive to loyalty customers. Even if you are not already using a loyalty program, you can  send an e-mail or text message to your customers promoting specials that will help their holidays go more smoothly. Think "Thanksgiving Eve Pizza Night" . . the "Black Friday BBQ Special" .. or create a special "Cyber Monday Madness Deal" for online orders only. Creativity and fun will help drive customers to your restaurant during this busy time!