Five Ways to Boost Sales during Dads & Grads Season

From early reminders to point of purchase advertising, there are many ways to keep customers enticed about the latest and upcoming shopping season. Now that we’re in the midst of high school and university graduations, as well as Father’s Day, retailers are busy trying to capture sales from all the customers shopping for dads and grads. While these are two different markets for two different occasions, there are ways to capture both at once. It saves money, time and space and creates visual appeal.

As families and friends celebrate this warm and wonderful time of year, consider five excellent ways to capture the markets for dads and grads simultaneously:

1. Start Early and Stay Present
   Smart retailers have been reminding customers about these upcoming occasions since Mother’s Day passed, and will keep it up until shortly after Father’s Day. This can be accomplished with in-store displays and banners, website promotions, social media channels, email, newspaper ads and other marketing avenues. And it can’t hurt to keep these reminders up until shortly after graduations and Father’s Day have passed, since many people will want to give belated gifts.
2. Make Helpful Suggestions
   Don’t hesitate to suggest various gift ideas to your customers. Many people will appreciate the advice when they’re having a hard time thinking of a good gift for the dad or grad in their life and are running out of time. Think about things that the typical (and not-so-typical) dad might use on a regular basis, as well as items recent grads might need as they hunt for jobs or set up new homes.
3. Make Gift Cards an Option
   Some dads and grads are hard to shop for, and some friends and family don’t know what the dad or grad in their life really likes or what they already have at home. Gift cards are an easy solution for any gift giver, and with a decorative box or creative packaging they can be just as beautiful to receive as any other gift.
4. Offer Gift Wrapping Services
   Who wants to run home and wrap their own gifts when someone else can do it for free? By offering gift wrapping services, you can make the retail experience even more pleasant and convenient for your shoppers. This free service won’t cost you a lot of time, money or resources, and it may just attract some shoppers who would have passed your store by otherwise.
5. Get Them at the Register
   One of the easiest ways to increase sales and ensure repeat business is with counter displays at the point of purchase. By offering helpful suggestions, last minute ideas and small add-ons right at the register, you can bolster each sale and enhance customer satisfaction. Many customers will appreciate the reminder about small additional items they may have forgotten or overlooked. This is also a great place to promote with coupons, invitations and other advertising activities.

Both of these occasions are about celebrating the people we love for the important things they do. With these simple steps, it’s easy for retailers to help their customers give gifts that do just that as they help themselves boost sales.