Forward Planning

When you work in retail you are always looking ahead. It is strange to be on your Summer holidays thinking about Christmas or sitting in the snow planning your picnic offer, but that is the best way to work.

In order to help you with that process we are be publishing here a calendar of dates for the next three months so that you can be reminded of what is coming up. Our monthly newsletter will also suggest things we think you should be considering at the time. View our recent News Articles here.

As we head to the month of May, it is time to be considering how you will evolve your Summer offers into peak season. Think about what ranges or products you can add in, how to clear already slow sellers and what faster lines you can get more of or add into.

Now is the time to consider July and August. Teacher’s Treats will be a great opportunity in July with innovative lower priced gifts and cards for parents to give to their teachers. It may be a relatively small event in the grand scheme of the year but it is a growing one and if you can encourage parents to come in with their kids to look for something then maybe you can also get them to sit in your café if you have one or to buy something for home as well.

Also make sure you link up with the Great Taste Awards either online or social media. The results of many weeks of judging come out in August and you will want to look at your regional winners as well as all the three star products. As a previous judge of the event, we will be publishing an article on the awards to give you more insight into what it all means but until then it is just worth having it on your agenda.