Discounts Open Doors

These days we are all being inundated with advertisements of special sales and deep discounts. Today is Cyber Monday, the next big shopping day after Black Friday. Sometimes I think that the media attention, the hype, the ads and the discounts create a frenzy. I am certain that this is exactly what the retailers want and hope to happen. Once a consumer gets it into their mind that Black Friday or Cyber Monday are the only days that you can purchase certain items with a discount, they do everything in their power to make sure they are one of the many people shopping on those days.

The media has reported that if you do not choose to shop early you may not find the inventory later in the month. These harsh tactics solicit fear in the customer and presumably motivates them to participate in the shopping frenzy. According to USA TodayCyber: Monday online sales get off to a good start

So how do you translate this into casual living sales? Well I am not certain that scare tactics are essential, however, in this economy I do think customers are looking for deep discounts and sales. Why not hop on the wagon and promote a sale in your store this holiday season. It has been reported industry wide that casual furniture retailers are not stocking huge quantities of inventory so let your customer base know this, not to create a frenzy but simply by being upfront and honest.

I am sure that there are products in your store that you can promote this time of year, so don’t hesitate, do what you can whether it is an email blast, quick postcard offering or banner sale. Advertise before it is too late.

These are my outside views…Marcia Blake