The festive season has created massive spikes in retail sales with the major contributors being Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. An 11% increase was recorded during the Christmas trade period in 2020 compared to the same time in 2019 according to the National Retailers Association. This number is expected to increase even more this Christmas period as it is perfectly timed with the economic reopening of Australia.

After being released from lockdown and with Christmas right around the corner, people are excited to undergo some retail therapy to bring back the festive spirit. Retailers should expect a major influx in customers and will need to prepare accordingly in order to make full use of this unique opportunity while upholding their business image by providing peak customer service.

How can retailers prepare themselves?

This intensified retail market is the perfect opportunity for businesses to boost their revenue and help recover losses that the lockdowns have caused. Preparation is key if retailers want to make the most out of this revived market. By fully utilising all resources available, and rostering sufficient staff you can be sure to maximise sales opportunities and revenue.

  • Investigate key information such as sales conversions, staff numbers, revenue and average dollar spent to strategically plan for improvements.

  • Compare people counting information from previous years, if available, to predict your stores potential number of sales, and improve your rostering by optimising labour to meet sales conversion targets.

  • Prepare staff to be dynamic and flexible in work tasks, as adaptability is crucial in peak period to not lose any potential sales. The key is sales focused, not task focused.

  • Re-educate staff with training sessions to improve product knowledge.

  • Identify hotspots to better position fast-moving/popular products to help drive sales.

How can retailers use people counting for the Christmas Period?

The right people counting technology can help retailers make the most of this unique festive season. Strong reporting capabilities and key historic data enable retailers to properly develop and execute strategies efficiently which prepares them for anything that comes their way. Proper analysis and adaptation to the live data from the Christmas period allow retailers to optimise their performance to make each day better than the last.

Act fast with live data

Given this hectic Christmas period with people everywhere, your store is bound to run into a snag or two – people are bound to be looked over! Live people counting data allows retailers to quickly identify and solve issues when they happen. Too many people waiting in line? Open up another register to reduce these wait times. Someone spending a long time looking at a display? Send sales associates to actively sell products and assist with enquiries.

Optimise window displays to attract more shoppers

Are you in the habit of constantly updating your window displays but not sure if they are effective or not? In the ‘hubbub’ of Christmas, your window displays can make all the difference in attracting shoppers into your store. Utilise live people counting data to immediately show the effectiveness of your window display. Ensure your teams are setting up the best display to maximise the amount of foot traffic coming into your store.

Efficient rostering to maximise sales

With people counting, your team will be well equipped to identify areas that generate a lot of foot traffic. Armed with this information, you will be better informed to manage rosters and prioritise staff where and when they are needed. Be prepared with the optimal amount of staff present in areas to maximise efficiency and revenue while reducing any unnecessary labour costs.

Ultimately, people counting assists stores with the strategic information to increase sales revenue and strengthen the customer experience. Live people counting data will help you to improve sales turnover by optimising staff rostering, window displays and sales opportunities that boost revenue – freeing your team to do their best work at Christmas time!