Nov. 1-7
MERCHANDISING Create and lay out your next holiday display window. If you’re not sure it’s right, leave the elements in the back room for a couple of days and then decide.
INVENTORY Call around to well-connected vendors to find out what they think will be hot this year in terms of pet presents or other holiday season trends.
Nov. 8-14
MARKETING ‘Tis the season … to cross-promote. Ask a store nearby that offers a compatible product — an organic food store, fashion boutique, a human bakery — to drop your store’s coupon into each of their customer’s shopping bag. (And you do the same for them.)
PROMOTIONS Post your sales schedule in the back room. Make sure your staff is fully aware of what promotions will run when.
Nov. 15-21
ONLINE In the internet age, holiday shopping begins this week as consumers start visiting the websites of favorite retailers. Update yours with seasonal elements, feature gift ideas including one special every few days and highlight your wish-list function.
CRM Credit card companies spend about $250 in marketing expenses for every new customer. Remember that as you interact with possibly the largest number of customers you’ll see in your store all year. Pay staff a $1 for every name and email address they collect.
Nov. 22-28
ONLINE Ensure your website is truly mobile friendly, with no need to squint or pinch to zoom in. “What you produce on the mobile website needs to be fast; you need to be able to navigate using the edge of your thumb. New advances in technology allow your website to be tablet friendly as well,” mobile marketing expert Matthew Perosi says. “You’ve got to have three different, workable versions of your website.”
Nov. 29-Dec. 5
INVENTORY The majority of your customers don’t remember your stock. They may recognize a specific product, but most of it will look new “as long as it looks new.” Identify items you wish to clear and give your sales team a sense of ownership by brainstorming new ways to redisplay stock and organize your shelves. Review your results and strategies every day.
Dec. 6-12
OPERATIONS Make it a rule: Starting today, everyone must greet each other with a cheery “Happy Holidays” every morning. When all is said and done, you sell joy, and you and your staff’s good moods will determine much of your success.
TRAINING Changes in small behaviors can have huge results. Each day, ask employees to keep in mind a specific one. It could be mimicking, maintaining eye contact, smiling, getting customers to pick up and test items, getting permission to follow up.
Dec. 13-19
ONLINE Keep blogging — there’s no shortage of topics at this time of year. It will drive SEO traffic, and sales.
Dec. 20-26
DATABASE BUILDING Start entering all that customer data you collected in the last few weeks if your system doesn’t automatically do it.
Dec. 27-Jan. 2
PLANNING Thursday is New Year’s Eve. Take a deep breath, reflect on what you achieved in 2020 despite the challenges, and get ready for a better 2021. The first step? Renew your subscription to PETS+. (It’s still free, but you have to renew to continue receiving it.)