The last two weeks before Christmas can make or break your holiday season. Shoppers feel the crunch, and you have a golden opportunity to capture their attention. Here are some quick, actionable strategies to boost sales, enhance customer experience, and finish the year strong.
Offer Last-Minute Incentives
Short-Term Offers; Create urgency with 24-hour or same-day offers, promoting them across your website, email list, and social media. This can be on slower selling lines or products which will be seasonal and irrelevant after the holidays.
Bundle Offers; Encourage bigger baskets by bundling related products at a discounted price. “Spend ?? and Save ??”
Give Value When Needed; Add value for busy shoppers by offering complimentary gift-wrapping services or free delivery the next day when time is tight and they will most appreciate it.
Leverage Social Media for Real-Time Engagement
Live Shopping Events: Host live streams on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok to showcase last-minute gift ideas and exclusive deals.
Interactive Content: Use polls, quizzes, and countdown timers to drive engagement and remind followers about shipping cutoffs or in-store availability.
User-Generated Content: Encourage customers to share their purchases on social media using a branded hashtag, and repost their content for added social proof.
Optimise In-Store and Online Shopping Experiences
Extended Hours: Cater to late-night shoppers by extending store hours in the final days before Christmas.
Pickup and Local Delivery: Highlight same-day or next-day delivery options for local shoppers who are out of time.
Clear Navigation: Simplify your website with categories like “Gifts Under £50” or “Last-Minute Stocking Stuffers.”
Prioritise Email and SMS Marketing
Cart Abandonment Reminders: Send automated emails or texts reminding customers to complete their purchases with enticing discounts or free shipping. If you don’t normally have these automations in place, this is a good time to introduce them for the shorter term.
Exclusive Offers: Use email and SMS to share time-sensitive deals, emphasising urgency in the subject line (e.g., “Last Chance for Christmas Treats!”).
Gift Guides: Share curated gift ideas based on customer interests or purchase history. This guide can be via the body of an email or even a social media carousel post. It’s not about the style of the guide, at this point within the year it’s about getting simple product suggestions in front of your audience.
Maximise Gift Card Sales
Promote Gift Cards as the Perfect Last-Minute Option: Use messaging like “The Gift That Always Fits” to market gift cards for those hard-to-shop-for recipients.
Incentivise Gift Card Purchases: Offer a bonus (e.g., “Buy a £50 gift card, get a $!0 bonus card”).
Highlight Shipping Deadlines and In-Store Pickup
Clear Messaging: Use banners on your website and social media to communicate final shipping dates and emphasise “Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store” options.
Local Pickup Priority: Highlight the convenience of in-store or pickup points for procrastinators.
Create Festive In-Store Experiences
Christmas Ambience: If you haven’t already…increase the seasonal decorations, and festive music, and add small touches like complimentary hot cocoa to make shopping more enjoyable.
Pop-Up Gift Stations: Set up dedicated stations for pre-packaged gifts or top-selling items to save shoppers time.
Customer Appreciation Events: Offer free samples, small giveaways, or exclusive perks for loyalty program members. Great way to drive spontaneous traffic into stories. This doesn’t have to be a preplanned event. Spontaneously emailing shoppings with a free hot chocolate or cookies treat in store, will be great brand building as well as increasing footfall.
Use Data to Target High-Value Shoppers
Focus on Repeat Customers: Offer exclusive last-minute discounts to your most loyal shoppers via email segmentation. These are the easiest customers to reconvert, especially at this time of year.
Personalised Recommendations: Use purchase history to suggest relevant items in email campaigns or online ads.
Upsell at Checkout
Suggest Stocking Stuffers: Feature small, low-cost add-ons at checkout, both online and in-store.
Limited-Time Offers Display “Buy Now, Pay Later” options or offer discounts on gift-wrapping services.
Keep the Momentum Post-Christmas
Prepare for Gift Returns: Make your return policy clear and hassle-free to turn returns into new sales.
Promote Boxing Day Sales: Tease your post-holiday deals now to keep shoppers coming back after Christmas.
Final Thoughts
The last two weeks of the holiday season are all about speed, convenience, and connection. By implementing these quick wins, you can attract last-minute shoppers, increase sales, and leave your customers with a memorable holiday shopping experience.
Let’s make this Christmas season your most successful yet!
