Holiday Countdown Tip #11: The second wave – post-season sales

This week may feel like the end of a long holiday season, with many merchants having begun promotions by late October. But far from being over, the final push of the holiday season is just about to begin: post-season shopping.

With the popularity of gift cards soaring and shoppers continuing to hunt for bargains, this year’s post-season shopping period may be more important than ever. To take advantage of the new wave of shopping activity:

• Be prepared by Dec. 25. Much as shoppers took advantage of leisure time on Thanksgiving to browse and buy online, driving an 18% increase in sales according to measurement firm ComScore, so should merchants be prepared for post-season shopping to seep into Christmas day.
• Spotlight redemption, return and exchange policies. Showcase all the ways shoppers can participate — whether by using their gift cards or returning or exchanging unwanted items. Delineate online versus in-store policies, and prominently position customer service contacts across all your customer touchpoints – the eCommerce site, mobile site, and social outposts.
• Promote self-indulgence. Now that the Santa-emblazoned gift wrap has been shelved for the year, shoppers can take advantage of sale prices to indulge their own desires.
• Emphasize accessories. Spotlight items that go with holiday top-sellers, from apparel to electronics, as eBags did last year by promoting cases for the season’s most popular gadget gifts.