Harvest Sales with Fun Autumn Events
Harvest Sales with Fun Autumn Events
Posted at 3:35PM • 9/08/20 • Liz Sagaser
September and October offer plenty of opportunity for events that can increase traffic in your store, and drive sales. Can you invite the community in, while still promoting safe social distancing? #YesYouCan
Read on for some of our favorite ideas to promote your business during harvest season, and a few tips to make sure social distancing is part of the plan.
Amp Up Store Decor for Autumn
If your store has window space, take advantage of the season by adding the rich colors, shapes, and textures of autumn to your display. Think pumpkins, gourds, wheat, sunflowers and fall mums, apples, fall leaves, tree branches, burlap, acorns, squirrels, and colors like mustard, rich shades of brown, cardinal red, magenta, mossy green, and all kinds of plaid. Brown craft paper is inexpensive, and can be used to create giant ‘dried leaves’ or a branching tree cutout.This article shares nifty inspiration for affordable fall windowscapes.
Join in Community Outreach
Talk to local churches, Boys or Girls Clubs, and non-profit organizations to find out if they have Trunk-Or-Treat events planned. Show up to participate in these events, and hand out a candy or novelty item taped to a brightly colored coupon for your store. Local groups will appreciate your participation, and this is a low-key, easy way to reach new customers. Find out if other stores in your neighborhood are planning to participate in downtown trick-or-treating events, and how you can be part of the fun.
Offer a Craft Session
Pinterest is chock full of ideas for simple, affordableFall-themed Crafts. If you or another member of your staff are crafty, plan one or more crafting sessions that allow parents to shop your store, while kids work on a fun craft project. You can charge for materials, or offer this opportunity free of charge. Consider asking parents to register in advance for 15 to 30 minute sessions, advertise a suggested age range, and limit the group size for each session to allow for social distancing. If a full-on arts and crafts session sounds overwhelming, set up a coloring station for kids with seasonal coloring sheets.
Host a Contest
A coloring contest, pumpkin carving contest, or costume contest are all fun ways to drum up excitement for your store, and don’t require everyone to gather in your space at the same time. Offer multiple prizes (store gift cards are great for this!) and make sure you share the opportunity with local family magazines or newsletters, your church, and even the local news. We’re all on the lookout for feel-good stories, and you might even score a bit of free press.
Promote a Photo Opp
Who doesn’t love a pumpkin patch, or the beautiful colors of autumn leaves? Put together a fun photo backdrop using hay bales, pumpkins and other gourds, or a Fall Forest theme with big paper leaves, and invite local families to pop by for a photo together. You can hand out coupons, offer refreshments, and add new customers to your email list. This is another event you can either invite anyone to attend, or ask for sign-ups in 10-minute increments to space people out. To really make a splash, hire a budding high school or college-aged photographer to take professional pics, and send the digital images via email. You can consider charging $5 for the photos, and in exchange participants get a $5 off $25 coupon for your store. #WinWin
Offer Holiday Wish List Registration
It’s not too early to help parents and grandparents shop for Christmas. In fact, studies show many shoppers are getting a jumpstart on their holiday shopping this year. Plan a Holiday Wish List event (or offer the option ongoing) where kids can make a wish list of items in your store they’d like for Christmas, and you can keep it on file for Mom and Dad to return and shop another day — with a handy coupon good for the next 2 weeks, of course. Don’t be afraid to get nostalgic with this one by reminding shoppers how much fun it is to shop #InPerson, and how meaningful it is to support local businesses.
What ideas are working for you to gain and keep sales momentum for autumn? We’d love to hear from you, and share your ideas + pics of your handiwork.
