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Summer Selling: Are You Ready?

The spring rush at your store has wrapped up and you’re getting started with summer and the many events and promotions that come with it.

Still looking for some ways to increase footsteps and sales this summer? No problem—we’ve provided a list of ideas below to help you do just that.

  1. Work with nonprofits. Offer to host a fundraising event in your store to help out a local group and bring in additional traffic. Use this as an opportunity to show off different products: try firing up the grill for a fundraiser so anyone who attends can not only have a burger but also learn more about your grill selection.
  2. Sponsor a Little League team. This idea is not new, but it’s about more than getting your logo on the back of a T-shirt. Take your sponsorship a step further. Invite the team to your store for pizza parties after games or at the end of the season. Host a special how-to workshop just for the players. Along with sponsoring a team, see about getting your logo up near the ball field.
  3. Get ready for vacation. Plenty of your customers are taking trips this summer. Make sure you have everything they need, including road emergency kits (including jumper cables, flares, a flashlight with extra batteries, a tire gauge, coolant and motor oil, bottled water and a few snacks, like trail mix or granola bars) and any outdoor sporting equipment or summer games.
  4. Prepare for pool time. Homeowners with pools or hot tubs will need chlorine, and this is a purchase that will require them to make return trips. Stock up on pool toys and games as well, like floats and other accessories, and cleaning equipment. Have a printout available that details the steps needed to clean a pool or add chlorine. Providing these details and being able to answer some common questions will help put new pool owners at ease and will position your store as a destination for these items.
  5. Look at lawns. After spending the spring cleaning up their lawns, spreading grass seed and fertilizing the grass, your customers are ready to add flowers, plants and shrubs. In addition, they’ll need to mow regularly and use a weedeater and hedge shears to maintain curb appeal. Try an endcap or other display in your lawn and garden area with some of the most popular tools homeowners will need.

 

About Liz Lichtenberger

Liz is the special projects editor for Hardware Retailing magazine. She reports on news and trends, visits retailers, and attends industry events. She graduated from Xavier University, where she earned a degree in English and Spanish and was a member of the swim team. Liz is a Louisville, Kentucky, native who lives in Indianapolis with her husband and two children. She enjoys swimming, reading, doing home improvement projects around her house and cheering on her two favorite basketball teams, the Kentucky Wildcats and the Xavier Musketeers.

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