3 Product Line Strategies to Supercharge Your Christmas Sales

We reveal 3 product line strategies to supercharge your Christmas sales from our interview with ELC Designs Group Sales Representative, Jana Cardiff.

The three 3 strategies are based on:

• Theme
• Color
• Display

What theme or themes will you promote in your store?

This is the start to all your planning decisions.  Will you go with just one theme or multiple themes? 

If you are going with multiple themes, you need to consider that each theme will most likely have its own unique product line mix and you should prepare for the larger workload of managing each theme and setting up the sales tracking for each theme.

You can get a good idea of the upcoming popular themes by visiting tradeshows and reading all the new trade magazines (i.e. Smart Retailer) along with speaking to your trusted sales representatives.

If you don’t have time to visit the trade shows, online searches, using Google Trends (it’s free) and industry publications will all provide an overview of the upcoming trends.

Another option that can speed up your research is to speak directly with a trusted salesperson. An experienced salesperson will follow the industry trends and have access to vendor research to share with you. That salesperson may represent a variety of lines, making your buying efforts much easier, as we will discuss below.

Once you have decided on the theme for your store, you need to look at the colors that can make up each theme.

How Does Color Fit in Your Planning?

A theme doesn’t automatically come with a set color. For example, you may decide on a traditional green and red Christmas theme. 

• What shade of the green or red will you use? 
• What is available?  
• Will there be enough of the product mix to fill out the theme?
• Can you use different shades of a color to increase your product mix?

Check to make sure there are enough available Christmas products so your theme will not have missing styles. Customers usually like to pick up matching and multiple items when shopping Christmas in your store. Are there enough wall signs or tabletop styles in the correct colors?

Displays to Promote Buying the Whole Collection

Use a Christmas Tree(s) as the center of your displays and decorate with ornaments and ribbon using your theme and colors.  These trees can be seen from a distance in the store and will draw people to them.

Display pieces that match with the theme can hold the additional products; retail end caps back walls can hang signs.

If you have larger furniture pieces that match the color and theme, use these as a display piece to supercharge the customer sale with a high dollar item. 

By grouping like items in a central display, you encourage your customers to purchase a collection of items instead of just a one item.

More Than Just Christmas Gifts

Include everyday items that match the color of your Christmas theme.  For example, if you have a black and white theme merchandise, put a mirror with a black edge in the group. 

It can serve as a gift, a piece that goes with the Christmas theme and it also reminds the customer that your store is not just for Christmas. It encourages them to come back throughout the year when they are looking for other home accents.