Are you ready to welcome the Fourth of July retail crowd with your business?

Independence Day is celebrated by family and friends, cookouts, and pool parties, among other things. No matter how you choose to celebrate Independence Day, there will be plenty of shopping to do before the event.

How can you ensure that your business appears on shoppers’ shopping lists? We can help you prepare your store for the Fourth of July.

Standing out among the Competitors in Holiday Shopping

With COVID-19 restrictions being lifted across the country, people are more eager than ever to celebrate. You can expect lots of foot traffic leading to Independence Day.

These are our top tips to make your retail store stand out from the rest.

Get your inventory in order

This tip is one we recommend to retailers for all holidays. Consumers will notice a shift in inventory as the seasons’ change and holiday excitement rolls through. Customers will be looking for products for summer, but this will change when Christmas arrives.

What might your customers want in July 4th preparations? These are some industry-specific changes and additions that you can make to your inventory:

• Flowers shops can add ribbons and balloons with themed designs to their stock
• Garden centers can arrange red, blue, and white flowers front and center, or add small signs to potted plants.
• Boutiques and clothing shops can bring America-themed tees, hats, and swimsuits to the floor by adding fun accessories and t-shirts.
• Grocery shops can sell American flag sugar cookies, and/or party platters and appetizers.
• To make holiday-themed drinks more festive-themed, liquor stores can sell seasonal mixers or limited-edition seltzers.

You may not be allowed to sell fireworks in your retail shop. However, you might consider safer options like sparklers to spice things up. There is more to the Fourth of July than just fireworks. Get creative and see what you can do to increase your sales this year.

Make July 4th promotions that are appealing

A good sale is the best way to get customers to your door.

No matter what holiday it is, people will make purchases. However, small businesses can create attractive deals to ensure that they are on the shopping list.

You might consider running promotions for items that are suitable for parties, cookouts, or picnics. A sale can be influenced by even a simple discount of 10% on selected items.

Mix and match offers are a great way to get liquor store owners excited. For the Fourth of July weekend, consumers are likely to buy a lot of alcohol. Make it easy for them to accumulate bottles by offering a bundle promotion. Customers can build their 6-pack of craft beer, or mix and match three bottles of wine to get a discount on their total.

You can add holiday-specific or seasonal items to your inventory by offering a tempting special. This will ensure that they are bought up quickly and you don’t have any leftovers. It’s not worth trying to sell them, so come up with a deal that customers won’t be able to resist.

If you have the opportunity to buy it, there is nothing better than a large-scale sale that runs through the holiday season. If everything in your store is worth buying during the holiday season or during the current time of year, this is a good idea. 20% off selected items is better than 20% off everything!

Decide how you’ll promote your promotions

This is the most crucial step to prepare for the Fourth of July. You have holiday products in your inventory and promotions that you are excited about. How do you let consumers know what’s happening?

You might not have promoted your promotions before. That’s okay. Holidays are a great opportunity to try out new techniques so that you can determine what works and what doesn’t for your store.

There are several ways to let your customers know about your Independence Day promotions.

• Sending paper coupons to the addresses at their homes
• Posting on social media, either organically or through paid ads
• Send them a message by text
• Emails customized

A strong retail point-of-sale solution should be able to help you with your marketing efforts. Integrated customer loyalty programs can store customer contact information as well as purchase history. This allows for more personalized deals. Many POS software can be linked up with other programs to manage SMS marketing or other promotional tasks.

Many stores close down or restrict their business hours on the Fourth of July. Communicate with your customers if you will be changing your hours. Also, promote the holiday.

Get Festive Decor and Signage in-Store

No matter if you will be open on the day of the Fourth or not, festive signage and decorations can enhance the customer experience.

Keep in mind your in-store promotions, especially if you have great deals. You can use stickers and posters to create signage in your store. Make sure to call out promotions so they don’t get lost. Extra flair is what catches consumers’ eyes!

It doesn’t matter how hard you try, decorating for the holidays is something that should be done. Although you don’t need to decorate extravagantly, adding pops of red, white, and blue to your storefront will help get people into the holiday spirit. Your small business will be more likely to make a sale on July 4th if it is welcoming and festive.

Host a 4th of Jul Party or Event

The final tip for Independence Day preparation does not work for all retailers. It doesn’t matter if you like it, but it can be very successful and fun.

You might consider hosting a small party, or sampling event, for the Fourth of July. People are picky about the products they buy and will stick with what they love. If you offer customers the chance to try your products free of charge, they are more likely than not to buy something they haven’t tried before.

Customers can get help building their spread by sampling meats, cheeses, and crackers at markets and grocery stores. You can also sample craft beer and wine from liquor stores, provided you follow local guidelines. Boutiques offer free makeovers to allow customers to test out new products.

You can also host an exclusive party with a limited number of guests, and offer favors including a variety of samples.

There are many options! You’ll be able to get satisfied guests to buy new holiday gifts, no matter what sample you give.

Fourth of July and Summer Holiday Retail Tip

It can be overwhelming to plan for holidays, but it doesn’t have to be. Before you rush to make last-minute or quick decisions, take your time.

All that matters is having fun with customers and making them happy while they celebrate the Fourth of July.

A store’s POS system is a great way to keep track of customer numbers. It is also useful for the first few days after the weekend. A store that has the same number of customers on July 1st and 2nd will be able to prepare for the large crowds expected on July 3rd and 4.

We can guess at the impact of COVID-19, but we won’t know until the weekend has ended. Prepare for large crowds and ensure safety precautions. Casual cookouts are the most popular way to celebrate this year.