Prepping for Valentine’s
With the Christmas season finally over, the countdown to Valentine’s Day is on. But before that chaotic day rolls around, it’s crucial that you examine your shop to see how you can ease the last-minute stress associated with Cupid’s arrow. Here are some tips and suggestions to help make one of the busiest floral holidays a little less painful this year.
1. Look at what day Valentine’s falls on. This year, Valentine’s will be celebrated on a Thursday, so expect more home deliveries or pickups as customers will be most likely choose to enjoy the flowers at home rather than the office.
2. Devise a schedule for the week leading up to Valentine’s Day. Give your employees an idea of the hours they will be putting in. Also, account for every hour so you can stay on track and can, in turn, pinpoint when you have fallen off track.
3. Book extra delivery services. Contact people you’ve used in the past or look into hiring vets, off-duty firefighters, retirees or students for the day.
4. One week before the big day, look to see how you can reposition your shop to accommodate the extra traffic. Allow for in-demand items to be easily accessible to the customer and make enough aisle space so that several people can comfortably manoeuvre. Position prices so that customers can find them right away.
5. Do an equipment check. Be sure your cash register, computers and telephones are all operating properly to prevent any glitches from disrupting one of your busiest days.
6. Rearrange the back of your store as well. Add more wrapping stations, make the phones easily accessible (and cordless ones that are easy to find!) and find room for all the extra staff.
7. Make sure you have your aqua picks, cellophane sleeves, greens, ribbons, boxes, cards, foam blocks and vases ready, prepared days in advance. Don’t forget that your product will likely be travelling in cold temperatures, so ensure you have things like protective sleeves made up in advance as well.
8. Put an emphasis on products that can be quickly prepared for custom
orders or if you run out. Cut vase arrangements can be arranged more quickly than foam designs and single roses are an easy way to make a quick sale. Cash and carry items make it simple for those in a rush.
9. Keep your store fresh. The little details count and look for ways to set your product apart from others. Think inside the box and line your boxes with polka dot tissue paper or find other ways to make your shop unique.
10. Record and review. After every Valentine’s Day, record information about what products sold, what didn’t sell, what time the most customers came in, when there was a lull in customers and even what the weather was like and how that influenced your business on that day. By keeping this information you can reflect back the following year and prepare your shop accordingly.
|
