Welcome Retail Collaborative’s “Golden Quarter Nuggets”, a ten-part series to help you and your business thrive this holiday season. Whether you need some tips on how to get organised, clear advice on planning your stock and sales, or step-by-step guidance on how to get your logistics in to shape at this critical time of year, I have you covered. Every Thursday, I will be diving in to the topics that matter during retail’s most important trading period.
Today, let’s discuss product curation. By narrowing your range and limiting the number of SKUs, you will create a more enjoyable shopping experience that will deliver higher sales and lower rates of frustration.
Every retailer’s aim in Q4 should be to create the best possible customer experience, and a key part of that is a sense of ease. There is so much noise in retail in Q4, and what customers are craving is a simpler way to shop; after all, what’s more frustrating than searching for a specific item only to find results displaying 563 “matches”?
That’s where product curation comes in.
Optimise your offer by building a cohesive range
Ideally, you should have several standout pieces in the range, and then other products that complement them and drive sales. This way, a customer knows what they can expect and they can easily find what they need.
To further drive sales, have a background story for your range and include behind-the-scenes information or images on what inspired you to create this collection.
Subtly branding your range using these tips will make you memorable; stories sell, and so do collections that tell a story.
Don’t crowd your customer
I always encourage clients to keep things simple and focused if they want to have a successful Q4.
One of the biggest mistakes I see is an over-ambitious SKU count; not only does it dilute the customer’s attention, but it also overwhelms every department and every person in the business itself (it’s a lot of work to keep on top of 100s of SKUs!)
Instead of adding endless SKUs, I would encourage you to curate a very specific collection that speaks to your customer base. What does your business stand for? What are you known for? When you select products with these questions in mind, your store looks attractive, and feels “exclusive”.
Encourage spending with add-ons and extras
Thoughtfully curating your offer in Q4 also has the advantage of encouraging customer spending. Products that complement each other will catch the eye, and if priced and marketed correctly, will be easy to add to the basket and give the customer the full experience of your brand.
Use Q4 to showcase the best of your business. Everything you put forward from the products to the visuals to the marketing to the fulfilment should be of the highest quality, and you can only do that if your vision is clear and focused.
So what story are you going to tell through your seasonal range?