Peggy Wynne Borgman

Yes, the holidays are upon us. If you believe the business pundits, this year is going to be “disappointing.” If you make your own weather, you could have the best holiday sales season ever.

Create a gift card sales incentive that doesn’t reduce actual gift card sales (See: Discount, above!) Last year we offered a $25 retail shopping gift certificate for every $150 in gift cards sold. The idea is to provide an incentive that motivates them to spend a little more than your average holiday GC purchase. But you don’t want the incentive to replace holiday gift card purchases. That’s why we make ours for retail purchases.

A Holiday Celebration Event early in the selling season will kick start your gift card sales. We schedule ours for the first Thursday in December. AvantGard Spa inSanCarlos,California does their SPArty BEFORE Thanksgiving to get the drop on clients’ holiday shopping!

Oh yes, holiday decorations. Think about unusual and cheeky colors rather than traditional red and green. Make sure your decor doesn’t interfere with your merchandising.

Holiday gift packaging. We change our gift packaging up each year with different colors, different tissue, etc. Your repeat gift buyers will appreciate it. Great gift presentations win you loyal business. Don’t skimp.

Stock up on Stocking Stuffers. The $10 and below price point flies out of the spa. Merchandise by color to create visually arresting collections of products.