Payday weekend bonanza with Bank Holiday thrown in as well!

Is bonanza time for most retailers this weekend as we have the weekend, it's a payday weekend and it's a bank holiday weekend. And I can see many times and retailers making the most of it. There are offers, events, fairs and all sorts of things happening all over the country as retailers try to compete with other attractions for people's time and money this weekend.

The national chains seem to have set themselves up for a big weekend, so it's time for the small independent retailers  that make up much of my audience to up their game.

As I've said many times before in my blog, the first step on the road to payday weekend success of planning your staffing. With me being away for three weeks and forcing myself to stay off the internet I haven't blogged this early enough but there are always lessons to be learnt and this will stand you in good stead for all payday weekends, bank holiday weekends and other events throughout the year. Once you have your staffing sorted, it's time to look at how you can offer something different and special at this time. I've already stated that you will not just be competing with other retailers but other attractions on a weekend like this. Giving families a reason to visit you rather than a park, a museum, a theme park or the seaside is part of ensuring success. So I'd say having something exciting for the children is a great idea for this weekend. What you do may well depend on what type of retailer you are, but be imaginative and think about what can keep families in your store for longer.

It's also a god idea to ensure that any offers you run coincide with a weekend such as this. If you are planning a sale, a but one get one free or other promotion them starting it this weekend is a great idea. It gets people through your door that may not normally shop with you and give you a chance to convert then into loyal customers. It will also give you a chance to cement your relationship with your existing customers who may need a little push to spend more with you.

The final piece in the jigsaw as far as I'm concerned is to make sure that your team are motivated and enthused about the weekend trade and any event you are hosting. Get them involved in the ideas process and you will get their buy-in for the event itself. If it's fun for staff and for customers then you've probably got a winning formula.

Keep this blog entry and re-read every time there's an event coming up - you'll be amazed at how useful it can be!

NOT EVERYTHING CAN BE BOUGHT ON THE HIGH STREET