Step By Step Black Friday Checklist

While Black Friday has always been the official start to the holiday shopping season, major retailers have been starting earlier and earlier with their deals. In fact, some tie Black Friday deals to the whole week of Thanksgiving. Does your retail shop have it’s Black Friday marketing strategy in place for this year? Consider this checklist to prepare your store and point-of-sale (POS) for the biggest shopping day of the year.

Pull Your Data

First things first, pull your data from your POS system from last year, and other years. Look for trends and patterns from year to year. What promotions worked in the past and how can you improve them for this year. Next, figure out your baseline, and then forecast based off your data. This is probably the most important thing you can do. Data is key in helping you make strategic decisions.

Plan Your Promotions

Now that you have a guideline set up in regards to Black Friday sales, set up a schedule for deals. Trying to remember when you want to run what deal is never good in the midst of go time. Good thing you can set it up ahead of time with your POS. Go into your software and automatically set the prices to go into effect on the dates you want them to start and end. For example, you want to time out the sale of a certain brand of purses. So from noon to 3pm all (insert brand) purses will be 20% off. That way if someone tries to get the deal at 3:30pm, the register automatically changes the price back. That also cuts down on sympathetic cashiers who could be coerced into giving deals past time.

Inventory Planning

Don’t forget to check your inventory. Do you have enough promotional sale items? Look inside your POS. Also, check your stats from last year with your point-of-sale  to see what sold and what didn’t. Then set your POS to send you alerts when levels are getting low. That way you can order right away, or better yet, let your POS re-order when certain thresholds are met.

Communicate

How will your shoppers know that you have a “buy one pair of boots, get another pair for free” promotion if you don’t tell them. Hopefully you have been collecting shopper data all year, because this is where it counts. Send emails and texts letting folks know about your deals. Plant the incentives early in November so you’ll be ready to capitalize on the sale come Black Friday day/week.

Mobilize Your Staff

Arm your staff with mobile tablets that give them easy access to inventory numbers, product info, and the ability to check customers out. Talk about great customer service! This can really help with keeping lines short, as well as giving a personalized touch. Don’t forget to keep collecting customer info as well so you can follow-up with personalized promotional incentives to come back for a visit online or in your store all season long!

Which of these suggestions will you implement with your POS software this holiday season. Not sure if your POS, can handle the rush? Give Bepoz a call. We can set up a demo today!