Aberston Top Tips for the Peak Retail Season

As we move into autumn, retailers will be preparing for what is possibly the busiest quarter of the year, with several major shopping events to look forward to:

• Halloween
• Thanksgiving
• Black Friday
• Cyber Monday
• Christmas
• New Year’s Sales

Each of these present an opportunity for you to expand your sales, develop relationships and gain experience in the market. Here are some tips to make the most of the final quarter.

1. Plan Ahead For Increased Demand

From a customer service perspective, being able to deliver stock on time is fundamental and in fact represents an opportunity to develop a relationship with your retailers. If they know that you  are reliable and have systems in place, they will have more confidence in you as a supplier. Conversely, if you cannot fulfil your orders on time, your retailers will have to look elsewhere for items. 

In terms of how to anticipate likely demand, look at figures from the same period over previous years. More importantly though, speak to your retailers directly and discuss their plans. How much demand are they forecasting? Are they looking for some new products to manage increased demand? Are there any products that you can suggest. Treat it as a two way relationship with communication at its core. 

Read: 5 Benefits of Selling on Aberston

2. Seasonal Products

If you have any seasonal products, now is the time to sell them to your retail customers, so they can assess if they will fit in with their planned product mix. 

3. Non Seasonal Products

Not everyone wants seasonal products so if you don’t make them, don’t worry. Products that are well designed and well made will have consistent appeal so these shopping events represent a great opportunity for growing sales in these products too.  

Read: How Easy It Is To Add Your Products To Aberston

4. Strengthen Your Online Presence

Update your Aberston page regularly especially during this busy period when retailers will be looking for new stock to draw in customers.

Equally for your other social media outlets: post regularly and respond to any queries in a timely fashion, so that people know you are open for business and importantly, that you value their interest.  

5. Prepare for Post-Holiday Returns

Returns can be an opportunity to strengthen your connection with your retailers. But it’s key that you have systems in place to manage them efficiently and without fuss. Some tips to achieve this include: 

• Make your returns policy very clear for your customers so there is less chance of confusion.
• Make sure you and your staff are very clear and comfortable with your returns policy. Confidence in this area will inspire confidence in your customers. It suggests an organised business on top of things. 

6. Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Black Friday and Cyber Monday tend to be the domain of large retailers selling mass made products. It’s less practical for independent retailers and makers to engage in such price slashing. That’s ok; many very well respected makers have made a point of not participating in this in recent years. While this is something the retailers can decide on themselves, it is no harm for you, as a maker, to clarify your position on it, so that people know you are aware of it. 

So there you have it. The final quarter can be extremely busy for retailers, which represents a great opportunity for your business. Make the most of it with careful planning and following through. Good luck!  And remember, the Aberston Team is always on hand to help you with uploading new products, branding your Aberston store and answering your questions. Get in touch anytime at support@aberston.com