PREPARING FOR THE POST-HOLIDAY RUSH

By Warren Howard

The new year is upon us and you and your staff are recovering from a busy and prosperous holiday season, so it’s time to take it easy for a few weeks, right?

Wrong. In fact, it’s time to prepare your store for the post-holiday rush.

There’s a misconception out there that following the holiday season, people are tightening their wallets after weeks of spending money on presents, food, and traveling. A lot of people also think the cold weather much of the country experiences keeps shoppers inside, as they recover from the hectic holiday season.

But that isn’t the case. There are lots of reasons people buy pool tables and other games – because they moved into a new home that has a game room, because they’re looking for a fun family activity, or because they love pool –and those reasons don’t disappear after January 1.

“Throwing in the towel for a few weeks after the holiday rush in your retail store is a bad idea,” says James Green, a retail expert. “The holidays are always a boost to local economies, but that boost continues well after the holidays have come and gone. The smart move to make is to keep pushing harder af- ter a successful holiday season in your store. You might be tired, you might feel like sales are going to drop off, but if you keep the marketing up, keep your customer service up, and keep your sales team inspired, you’re going to see an increase in sales continue after the holidays. Use the holiday season as momentum to keep going.”

Turn Returns Into Profits

Of course, the days immediately following Christmas are busy for retail businesses of all kinds, including billiard and home recreation stores, but not always for the best reason. That’s when folks are returning unwanted gifts, which presents challenges for stores, but also opportunities.

“January can literally make or break the year for retailers,” says Brad Hall, a retail expert who has seen his share of post-holiday returns. “Your business is going to get inundated with returns and it’s up to you to turn those returns into exchanges at the very least, and possibly into extra sales.”

When a customer comes in to return a gift in the weeks after the holidays, ask them why they are returning it. One common answer will simply be that they didn’t want the gift. If that’s the case, ask them if there is anything else in your store that interests them. Maybe they’re a pool player who got a cue they didn’t like. Find out what kind of cue they actually want, or make suggestions to them. Maybe their dream cue is expensive, but store credit for the cue they’re returning could make it affordable.

“At the very minimum, you can keep your profits from plummeting into the negatives, but the most successful businesses can exchange items and upsell additional items with each exchange,” Hall says. “Furthermore, just because December is over doesn’t mean there’s not a slew of incoming holidays that people need gifts for.”

THERE’S ALWAYS ANOTHER HOLIDAY

Hall’s point about holidays is an important one. Just a couple of weeks after New Year’s Day, people are taking off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, then comes February and Valentine’s Day, March sees Saint Patrick’s Day, and then it’s time for spring and Easter.

Not that these are occasions where people buy their loved ones a high-end pool table, but they are fantastic opportunities to reach out to established customers. The person who bought their spouse a pool table during the holidays might see Valentine’s Day as a great opportunity to buy them a cue, high-quality pool balls, or other accessories. Use social media and email blasts to spread the word to your regulars about new products that make ideal gifts during these holidays. with it. Another advantage to gift cards is that they get people who are interested in the products you sell to actually walk through your doors. Not only does all of this cut down on returns, it gives you an opportunity to upsell to actual pool enthusiasts. There’s also a good chance those enthusiasts will spend money beyond the amount of the gift card – adding even more to your bottom line.

Commit To Your Mission

Rengie Wisper, retail expert and co-founder and designer at Ever Wallpaper, says that the post-holiday season is a time to remember the mission of your business.

“In order to take advantage of these holidays, you have to prepare for them,” says Marcus Barnett, who has been in the retail game for 20 years. He notes that billiard and home recreation retailers should ramp up their inventory accounting efforts – and also make sure they are properly staffed. “The post-holiday rush heavily features support issues and returns and exchanges, so you’ll want to focus on having ample help desk staff and experienced POS staff to handle the heavier flow of customers.”

Promote Gift Cards

As a billiard store owner, you no doubt have had people walk into your store who don’t play pool but want to buy something for a relative or friend who does, so they have no idea what to buy. And when faced with that situation, smart retailers know that suggesting those customers buy a gift card is a great idea.

There are a few advantages to gift cards –first they are rarely returned because no one who loves pool is going to try to exchange a gift card for cash because they can buy the exact product they want

“Make sure every employee knows what makes your business unique and special,” he says. “Make sure every customer feels like they’re getting the kind of attention and customer service that makes them want to come back again. And don’t forget – even if you’re busy, it’s important to take time out of each day to check in with yourself and make sure your passion hasn’t waned. If it has, then it’s time to find a way to reignite that spark.”

It is, in a sense, a test of your determination, because after the intense holiday season and weeks of working long hours, it’s tempting to take it easy and just enjoy the fact that things are quieting down.

Also important is maintaining relationships with your regular customers, even the ones who are tightening their budgets in the early part of the year. Stay active on social media and promote new and exciting products. Then, when the time comes for these people to start doing some shopping, they’ll know to make a visit to your store.

Taking a smart approach to your billiard store now not only can result in surprisingly good sales in the early part of 2023, it can help set the stage for success all year long.