Gear up for Christmas: Our tips to maximise your Festive sales

As an ex-retailer, every year, as Christmas approaches, I fondly recall my time as a store manager at a department store in Holland, where I had the pleasure of experiencing 14 festive seasons. It was always a thrilling, busy time, full of excitement for both retailers and shoppers!

Preparation is everything, so here are my tips to help you boost your sales and keep your sanity during this busy time.

Key sales moments

1. Black Friday (29th November 2024)

2. Cyber Monday (2nd December 2024):

These events may have started in the US, but they’ve become essential sales dates in the UK too. Customers expect great deals, the perfect chance to attract new buyers and reward loyal ones.

Tip: Don’t wait until the last minute. Plan your Black Friday offers now. Whether it’s exclusive discounts, bundles, or flash sales, make sure your deals are enticing. Also, ensure your website is up to date. Creating a landing page specifically for these sales events makes it easier to link to these pages from social media and also makes it easier for customers to find what they are looking for.

3. Christmas Shopping Season (Oct/Nov/Dec):

A lot of people are already looking for Christmas gifts. Not me. I’m always late with my gifts… Sorry, family. 😉 Make sure your website has a category for Christmas gifts, ideally segmented by Men, Women, Children, Fun, Educational, etc. Make it super easy for people to find the perfect gift for their family and friends. 

December brings a more traditional shopping rush, with people searching for that perfect gift. Customers are less focused on big discounts and more focused on finding products that make thoughtful presents. A trend I’m noticing is people are interested in handmade and bespoke, personalised gifts. If you’re selling these types of products, consider selling through Etsy, Folksy, Amazon Handmade, MadebyMums, etc. Beware of monthly subscriptions and commission costs, though. Keep that in mind for your pricing.

Tip: Make your website “Christmas ready” by featuring your best gift options. Highlight delivery last dates for guaranteed Christmas delivery, and consider offering (free or paid) gift wrapping or express shipping to attract those last minute buyers. Me 😉

4. Boxing Day (26th December) & January Sales:

Boxing Day is when customers hit the sales again, looking for bargains, and it’s a great opportunity to clear out any remaining stock. Kick off your January sales early to keep the momentum going into the new year.

Tip: Promote sales that extend beyond Boxing Day. Many people receive cash, vouchers, or gift cards as presents, and they’re keen to spend them in January. Make it easy for them to choose your store.

How to prep for a successful festive season

1. Stock up based on data, not guesswork

One of the biggest lessons I learned from my years in retail is the importance of data. Analyse last year’s sales data to identify your bestselling products and make sure you’re well stocked. I always remember stocking up on apple corers (or “appleboor” in Dutch) for Christmas. It was a product that barely sold throughout the year, maybe one a month, but come December, they flew off the shelves!

Tip: Look at your sales from last Christmas, but also take into account any new trends or products that have done well this year. Consider offering preorders on popular items to help you gauge demand.

2. Make your marketing festive and targeted

During the Christmas season, your customers are bombarded with offers, so your marketing has to stand out. The key is to be festive, engaging, and most importantly, relevant. From holiday themed social media posts to email campaigns that build anticipation, your message must resonate with your target audience.

Tip: Use vibrant visuals, festive designs, and catchy copy to grab attention. Canva is beautiful for this and will have specific Festive templates. Personalised marketing works well. Targeted email campaigns that offer product recommendations based on previous purchases or browsing behaviour work well. Look back at your data; people who bought from you last year are likely to buy from you again. To entice new customers, use Facebook and Instagram adverts driving traffic to your website and retargeting them with the Facebook Pixel.

3. Ensure a Seamless Mobile Shopping Experience

Mobile shopping is bigger than ever, and many customers will be browsing and buying on their phones. Your website must be mobile friendly, with fast loading times, easy navigation, and a straightforward checkout process.

Tip: Test your website on various mobile devices to ensure it’s user friendly. Add multiple payment options, including mobile wallets, to make it easier for customers to complete their purchases. 

Can AI Help with the Christmas Sales?

Absolutely! As you might know, we’re big fans of AI at Tuminds and AI can be a game changer when it comes to maximising sales during the festive season. Here’s how:

1. Personalised Product Recommendations:

AI can analyse customer data and suggest products that match their interests, increasing the chances of upsells and crosssells. Think of those “You may also like…” sections that pop up when you’re shopping online.

Tip: Platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and others have AI-powered plugins that make it easy to add personalised recommendations to your online store. 

2. Automated Customer Service with Chatbots:

Expect a spike in customer inquiries around Christmas, from questions about shipping times to product details. AI chatbots can handle common queries 24/7, ensuring customers get quick responses without overwhelming your support team. You can also automate this using Facebook Auto Responders. 

Tip: Use a chatbot platform that integrates easily with your existing systems. A good bot will improve customer satisfaction and free up your time. A few examples of ChatBots are: Tawk.to (free) Tidio (free for up to 50 conversations per month) Wix and SquareSpace have their own built in ChatBots.

3. Smarter advertising:

AI can help you run more effective ads by analysing which messages work best with which audiences. This means you can finetune your campaigns, ensuring they reach the right people at the right time.

Tip: Use tools like Facebook’s AI driven ad solutions, which can optimise ads based on performance data, making adjustments in real time to maximise your budget.

 3 Expert Strategies to Boost Your Festive Sales

1. Build Anticipation with Early Social Media Engagement

Start creating buzz long before your sales kick off. Use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to tease upcoming deals, share festive content, and engage with your followers. Running countdowns, sneak peeks, and interactive posts can help build excitement and drive early traffic.

Recommendation: Use social media ads to reach specific audiences based on shopping behaviours and demographics. Tools like Facebook’s audience targeting can help you get your promotions in front of the right people at the right time.

 2. Maximise the Power of Email Marketing

In my experience, email marketing is one of the most effective ways to connect with your customers during the holiday season. You can keep them updated on your latest offers, send them personalised gift guides, and remind them of delivery cut offs. But don’t just send out generic emails, segmentation and personalisation is key.

Recommendation: Create segmented email campaigns to target different customer groups. For example, send tailored product suggestions to returning customers, and exclusive discounts to your most loyal ones. Adding a touch of festive cheer to your subject lines can also boost open rates.

3. Use Automation to Save Time and Reduce Stress

The Christmas rush can be overwhelming, but there are tools that can make your life a lot easier. Automation can handle everything from scheduling social media posts to sending order confirmations and responding to common customer queries. It helps you stay on top of things without needing to manually manage every detail.

Recommendation: Set up a chatbot on your website to handle frequent questions like delivery times, return policies, and product details. Not only will this save you time, but it will also improve your customers’ shopping experience. Tools like Zapier can also help you streamline repetitive tasks, so you can focus on growing your business.

Final Thoughts

Christmas can be a chaotic time, but with the right preparation and a smart strategy, it’s also your chance to finish the year strong. Focus on the key sales moments, Black Friday, Christmas shopping, and Boxing Day, plan your marketing well, and make sure your customers have a seamless shopping experience. 

I can tell you that success during the festive season comes down to understanding your customers, data, planning ahead, and making sure every part of the process runs smoothly. And don’t be afraid to bring in a bit of AI, it’s a powerful ally that can help you boost sales and keep customers happy. And yes, I did use AI to assist me with this post 😉

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I would love to hear your tips in the comments below!