During the festive season, shops in the UK welcome flocks of people in search of the perfect Christmas gifts. But the constant rush of people can be a concern, and of course, retailers want to ensure their customers are happy and safe while shopping.

To keep your customers’ Christmas shopping experience positive, read on to find out how to protect them during the festive rush.

COVID-19 safety

While your shop is probably already COVID-19-adapted, the festive rush might raise more safety concerns, especially given the discovery of the new COVID-19 variant.

To ensure your customers’ safety, place COVID graphics at the store windows, entrance, and amongst the aisles. This will inform customers about the COVID-19 regulations you have in place.

COVID barriers are also extremely useful in terms of regulating the traffic at entrance and checkout points. Add COVID floor graphics at checkout points to indicate that customers need to keep a distance of two meters apart when queuing.

You can even hire additional staff who track and control the number of people in your store. They will also ensure that everyone who enters the store has a face covering if you choose to enforce the measure. To keep with the Christmas spirit, why not give away disposable face masks with festive motifs? This will position you as a considerate retailer who tries to keep the Christmas cheer while taking the right precautions.

Additionally, you can encourage your customers to do a lateral flow test before heading for their Christmas shopping either on your website, social media, or storefront.

Efficient staff management

Your staff are the backbone of your Christmas marketing campaign. That’s why it’s important to have enough well-trained staff ready to work in a fast-paced environment.

Of course, you need to be conscious of your employees’ efforts at this time. Make the busy period fun by organising daily Christmas competitions and rewards. This will keep their workplace satisfaction rate high, and in return, lead to better customer service and increased revenue.

To lift the weight off their shoulders, encourage your staff to take regular breaks, and ensure they work no longer than eight hours at a time. Hiring temporary staff is also a great option when it comes to managing the store effectively and giving everyone enough time to rest.

Keep your store organised

We can’t stress enough how a well-structured store layout can bring a sense of organisation to your store and maintain the customer flow. In return, customers will enjoy a flawless shopping experience. Moreover, with the new COVID-19 restrictions that have been introduced in places like Scotland, it’s important now more than ever to ensure the health and safety of your customers.

The best way to do so is with wayfinders. What is a wayfinder? It’s a directional sign that guides customers to certain products within your store. Custom directional signs will help you communicate your brand and are key to a seamless customer and staff experience.

Customers can quickly be navigated to the desired category avoiding roaming through the store without a purpose and causing in-store traffic. Staff, on the other hand, can improve the efficiency of loading stock on the shelves and showcasing exceptional customer service when approached with queries.

Also, make sure that there is enough personal space for your customers, even if that means sacrificing some display sections. This will prevent crowding.

Product placements

A good analysis of your last year’s Christmas customer flow and additional A/B testing of product placements can help you keep the festive rush to a minimum.

But how? Understanding your customers’ Christmas shopping behaviour will tell you which products you need to place at the storefront, the section of your store that catches the eye the most. This is called product mapping. Place your best-selling products, as well as the most sought-after Christmas essentials at the storefront. Use business signage to highlight buzz words in the likes of “Christmas sale”, “Christmas essentials”, and “Your one-stop Christmas stall”.

The other “hot spot” in your store is the checkout point. According to retail experts, it’s best to place the checkout area at the front left as customers tend to begin their journey experience on the right and leave on the left. This is the area where Christmas cards, crackers, festive favours, and last-minute gifts will go. Customers are usually aware of that and will have it in mind when shopping.

Slip-proof the floors

The festive season brings about not only a delightful white Christmas but also slippery store floors. Moreover, the hectic shopping spree often results in in-store spillages.

This can be a hazard for your customers, so it’s important to slip-proof the floors both in the display room and the storage room. The best way to do that is with scuff-resistant, anti-slip, and hard-wearing floor graphics. Because they’re customisable, you can use them to interact with your customers or as custom directional signs.

Once there’s been a spillage, make sure you place a wet floor sign on it to keep the customers aware.

 

As the festive rush is about to gain force in the next few days, so it’s vital that you’re prepared to handle it the best way possible. Ensuring the safety of your customers should be your biggest priority, as they’re the bread and butter of your business.

 

Sources

https://www.national-accident-helpline.co.uk/news/12-hazards-of-christmas

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4525425/

https://www.theupcoming.co.uk/2020/08/21/the-psychology-of-store-layouts/

https://lakecontracts.co.uk/the-psychology-of-shop-layout/