7 Ways to Prepare Your Small Business for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is the second highest spending holiday of the year, falling just after Christmas, with the U.S. netting nearly $19 billion in sales each year. Businesses large and small can benefit from this spending trend, provided you prepare your store for the love-struck shoppers in advance. Here are some ideas to help organize your store for Valentine’s Day.

1. Purchase bulk cards and candy. The key to maximizing sales is by stocking up on the items that count. Every Valentine’s Day, retailers across the U.S. sell a collective 145 million cards, and your store can contribute to that number. Buy cards in bulk to save money and ensure you have enough to cater to all your lovesick patrons.
2. Decorate your store. To ensure shoppers know about your Valentine’s Day products, it helps to get into the spirit of the holiday. Hang signs and decorations around your store to promote your goods and spread the Valentine’s Day love.
3. Make customers feel special. Valentine’s Day isn’t just an opportunity to increase sales, but also to boost your customer retention. Buy fake roses, cards, or small candies in bulk and distribute them to all of your customers on Valentine’s Day. It will make them feel more appreciated and encourage them to return to your store.
4. Spread the love. Valentine’s Day is about love and friendship, and there are few better ways to express love than through charity. Consider hosting a Valentine’s Day fundraiser to drive more traffic to your store. With every sale of a Valentine’s Day card, you can donate a percentage to charity. This will boost your sales potential, while enabling you to give back to your community.
5. Stock items near the checkout. Studies suggest that impulse purchases can bring in big money. Hawkins Stern, an economist who worked at the Stanford Research Institute in Southern California, researched a phenomenon which he referred to as Suggestion Impulse Buying. He found that consumers often bought things, not out of need, but simply due to the ways that the items were being presented to them. By positioning Valentine’s Day cards and candy near the checkout, you can subtly encourage shoppers to buy more than they otherwise would.
6. It’s not too late. Are you down to the last minute in preparing your store for Valentine’s Day? Don’t worry! The U.S. is home to countless procrastinators who wait until the day of Valentine’s Day to buy their gifts. Create a variety of premade gift ideas to cater to the last-minute lovebirds. Gift baskets are a great grab-and-go gift that are popular around Valentine’s Day.
7. Spread the word. If you need to get the remainder of Valentine’s Day gifts off your shelf, use the power of marketing to your benefit. Send out an email blast with coupons for discounted cards, candies, and other gifts, and the items will rapidly disappear from your shelves.

Valentine’s Day is one of the biggest holidays of the year for businesses, and all types of retail stores can get involved. By decorating your store and offering cards and candies, you can maximize on the Valentine’s Day sales, while strengthening your client retention. Search our vast selection of cards, gifts, and candies, and ensure your store is stocked for the holidays.