[lead]Some of you may be avoiding it but for Tactical Solutions, Christmas has come early![/lead]
Autumn 2019 is certainly in full swing. But somewhere across the country in a tall, cosy office the UK’s favourite retailers are beginning their preparations for the biggest sales event of the year: Christmas!
With this said, for those in the grocery and retail sector, July/August is actually the optimum time to start preparing for December’s hustle and bustle. For the past couple of months, Tactical Solutions have been thinking about Christmas in preparation for the upcoming support we’ll be giving our clients; making sure that they reap all they can from the busiest time of year. But what really is all the fuss about?
Studying Trends
Last Christmas, customers spent £450million more on groceries alone. With increased spending guaranteed over this period, competition for retailers and brands heighten as they battle for the limelight. Thanks to this, every year we see retailers and brands release extravagant and extraordinary displays, promotions and marketing strategies to ensure that they don’t get left behind in the ruckus.
Outside the store, brands like John Lewis, have wiggled themselves into many household Christmas traditions through their marketing. John Lewis has released an annual, extended Christmas TV advertisement since 2006 and is now an anticipated event in December.
Some of their more popular advertisements have been integrated into in-store displays as well as commercialised in the form of merchandise and cuddly toys, which has seemed to bode well for their sales. Take 2013’s The Bear and The Hare, for example.
During this time of year, people spending their money (and lots of it) is a given. But this just means it takes a lot more for specific brands to grab the attention of their consumers. In a time of family, friends and good tidings, brands have recognised that in a time of stress and impulse purchasing, customers need to be impressed, moved and have a connection with the brand. This may explain John Lewis’ tear-jerking adverts and displays.
Asda’s 2018 Christmas Campaign was marketed with the tagline; Bringing Christmas Home. The advert itself was meant to evoke the universal feeling of home, family and the pure joy that is felt around Christmas, showing customers that they recognise the true meaning of Christmas and that it can be found at their store. This was also integrated into FSDUs and other displays within store.
How Tactical can Help
With an expected influx of customer footfall, to ensure that your brand is not falling behind in-store, impressive and effective product placement through displays and promotions have to be deployed. This is where Tactical can help.
As increased spending is in full flow, Tactical recognise that availability can be an issue within store. If your product is missing off the shelf, it evidently eradicates the first step in customer compliance and product performance. Display and availability are crucial steps in brand success, and here at Tactical, we are experts in making sure imperative features such as stock ordering, display management and merchandising, are performing at full capacity, which they need to be at this busy time.
Using EPOS analytics, accessed by our bespoke software like Reapp and Drive, we keep a close eye on your brand’s performance, as well as keep all displays and availability in check to ensure that your brand is benefitting from the season.
And now with our brand new Live Portal, we can safely and securely share relevant documents with our clients, allowing speedy access to important information about your store. To find out more about the Live Portal, click here to read our blog.
As preparations begin, Tactical Solutions have made an informative video to tell you how we can help your brand achieve success through excellent in-store execution during the festive season. Take a look!
