2020 has been a year for which no brand or consumer could have prepared for and as Christmas looms large, many are hoping that this is the next big event when things might be close to normal once again.
Lockdown has had a very interesting effect on consumer confidence (to say the least), so as the seasonal peak rolls around many brands need to begin looking at how to approach stock availability. There are two reasons that this is something brands need to look at right now:
Due to lockdown, recent data suggests that many people have begun their Christmas shopping already this year. 34% of respondents in a recent eBay Christmas spend trends survey said that they had already bought some Christmas related items.
So, needless to say, if your brand’s seasonal sales strategy has not already begun, then now is the time to get the wheels in motion. But where exactly do you begin? Well, first you need make sure your stock is available in store, on shelf.
As with most things, it is important that you have your plans finalised ahead of time so that you can move quickly when the festive season draws close. That’s why it is important to ensure that stock is available in store at the correct moment so that your field teams can execute sales activity when the time is right.
For this to happen, your strategy must incorporate plenty of lead time. Whilst many consumers will baulk at the idea of discussing Christmas shopping in September, it is around about now when you need to have your strategy for peak season ready to roll out. Indeed, it is this foresight and ability to react quickly to the consumer climate that underlines the advantage brands get by working with field sales agencies – they have the ability to quick scale resource up to meet the seasonal peak demands.
Making sure that you have your products in store ahead of peak is imperative to running a successful sales strategy when the rush begins. If you’re operating a permanent sales team then they can leverage the relationships that they have with key store contacts to ensure the right amount of product is ordered and available in store when peak season begins.
However, not every brand has this kind of resource on hand. That’s why tactical activation is a great solution when it comes to peak season – you can plan your strategy for peak then deploy the resource you need to take advantage of increased footfall to drive additional sales.
Availability and timing work hand in hand when it comes to field sales. Taken together they are a proven way for brands to get not only increase stock availability right at the time when stores are at their busiest, they are also a sure-fire way to increase sales during busy consumer periods.
Our tactical activation teams can move quickly. So even if you haven’t fully planned out what your activity will be in this year’s peak season, we can work with you to hammer out the details and book you the right type and level of resource to suit. We pull upon our bank of seasonal staff to deliver that plan, and even use EPOS data via our DART app to react to stock fluctuations in real time.
Contact us now to book your seasonal activation and don’t forget to stay tuned into our LinkedIn page as we discuss all the ways you can prepare for peak season.