The Look, Sound, and Smell of Christmas Matters to Shoppers
Shreveport, LA (PRWEB) July 30, 2013 -- It's beginning to look, sound, and smell a lot like Christmas! Or at least it should be, says On Hold Company CEO Bryant Wilson. Writing in a recent blog post, Wilson explains how brick and mortar stores can compete against their online rivals by offering a multi-sensory shopping experience.
"The good old days of retailing are gone," Wilson says. "Thanksgiving used to kick off the Christmas shopping rush, but now the season starts earlier than ever. Some retailers begin stocking the shelves with holiday items as early as July." Retailers are rushing the season for a reason, he notes: it increases revenue. Businesses that don't already have their holiday plans in place should start planning now.
Wilson outlines the three major components that make a customer's in-person shopping experience memorable: sight, sound, and smell.
First, it should look like Christmas. Holiday displays should be planned down to the square inch because item location and placement can be just as important to sales as the items themselves. But he cautions retailers to consider the multicultural nature of their customer base and include items geared towards various religious and secular festivals as well. "While Christmas is the dominant holiday celebrated in the United States, other festivals and observances also draw shoppers to stores for foods, gifts, and decorations. If you leave those observances out of your holiday plan, you're leaving money on the table," cautions Wilson.
Second, it should sound like Christmas. During the holidays, the soundtrack of shopping can help transport customers to a simpler, less complicated time. "The right music helps keep the cash registers singing right along with your customers," Wilson says. It's important to have musical selections tailored for individual holidays and specific promotions. Retailers should be ready with something new for each holiday and season, because that keeps content fresh and relevant.
Finally, it should smell like Christmas, stresses Wilson. The sense of smell is quite evocative, and scents affect shopper's memories and emotions. "That's an important component that some retailers ignore," he explains. "The smell of a place – particularly combined with visual and auditory cues like holiday merchandise displays and music – can affect both the mood and buying habits of shoppers."
With that in mind, it just makes sense for a business to include scents - along with sight and sound - in a holiday marketing plan. The combination provides something shoppers can't get online: an enjoyable, memorable experience that touches the senses.
Readers can follow the On Hold Company blog at http://www.onholdcompany.com/blog.
About On Hold Company
On Hold Company (http://www.onholdcompany.com) is a leading provider of custom telephone on-hold music and messages. The company has been in business since 1994 and provides on-hold marketing for more than 13,000 clients across North America. On Hold Company also provides digital signage solutions, telephone voice prompts and overhead music and messaging services.
Scott Anderson, On Hold Company, http://www.onholdcompany.com, +1 (800) 492-9030 119, [email protected]
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