I’ve always thought of February as a funny month. It’s short. It’s cold. Except for Valentine’s Day and Family Day, it’s somewhat uneventful. The holiday season is far behind us, the January trip to somewhere warm is a distant memory and in Ontario mounds of snow are nowhere near disappearing! Unless motivated, many shoppers simply hibernate in the great white north, but given the proper motivation, no true Canadian will wait for a “warmer” day before heading out!
So why not give shoppers a reason to visit your business before the 28th!
Here is a quick list of 5 promotional ideas to try before February folds.
1. MAIL - Send some old fashioned mail – Do you have a database of your customers addresses? Send them a letter and invite them to visit. Offer them an incentive to shop at your business before the end of the month, (or on a specially appointed day – see my ONE DAY SALE ideas in my older blogs) The letter is a personal touch, and gives the customers a REASON to come to your store.
2. PARTNER - I’ve mentioned partnering before in my past blogs. Partner with your neighbouring stores and promote some sales together. This will save on advertising costs, and give the shoppers some variety.
3. FREE DAYS – Free Coffee, Free Pen, Free Bookmark, Free Hot Chocolate from the shop down the street. Maybe a whole week with a different FREE item each day. Will you get people in just for the free stuff? Sure! Will you draw attention and exposure to your business? You bet! Don’t have a lot of supply? Limit it FREE for the first “25” customers through the door.
4. COUPON - Shop again in February Coupon – Give a coupon with each purchase offering a discount, or premium if they shop again before the end of February.
5. SELL LIKE ITS SUMMER - This is fun for staff! Have them dress in their beach clothes, play some summer tunes, crank the heat (a little) and brighten up the atmosphere! Rent a snow cone maker for fun or enter every customers name into a draw for “summer in a box” and fill it with lots of warm, summery items. (Once again – great partnership idea with local spa, salons, resorts, popular patios, and clothing stores)
The first week of February flew by, and we’ll be moving into March before you know it! But in the meantime, do all that you can to keep your business from falling into the February Funk!
Wishing you the best today can bring!
Barb
