The local grocery stores will be busier than ever over the next couple of days. People will run out for last minute gifts, holiday meal items, and shipping supplies. This week is one of the most important shopping weeks for retailers. This is your last chance to increase sales and to hit profit goals. These tips will help you get that final push and not only meet but exceed all of your period goals.

Decorate for the holidays

It might seem pointless now, this late in the season, to decorate for the holidays. However, studies show that the more a customer feels festive, the more they are willing to spend. If the interior or exterior of the store is run down, dark, and not festive, the customer is going to want to leave as quickly as possible. If the store is decorated for the holidays, the customer will feel happier and will be more willing to explore additional items. In addition to decorating for the holidays, selling festive gifts and streaming holiday music over the loudspeakers can also serve the same purpose.

Offer free samples

People will be buying a lot of food over the next week. Families are hosting multiple dinners and following that, there will be many New Year?s Eve parties. This is the time of year when buyers throw their grocery budgets out the window and try new items. If you want to push a specific product or develop a brand loyalty with a certain food item, now is the time. Set up a printed wall advertising the new item and then offer free samples. Shoppers will gladly accept the free samples and if they enjoy the item, they are more willing to purchase it.

Set up holiday displays

In addition to serving as a holiday decoration, holiday displays also push sales. Custom pop displays remind shoppers that they will need refreshments for their events. When the custom pop displays are right in their face, they are more willing to purchase larger quantities. According to a 2014 Mass Merchant Study, 16% of unplanned purchases were due to a display noticed while shopping. Because shoppers make 82% of their purchase decisions in the store, custom pop displays can be very effective in pushing sales of specific items.

Line the aisles with last minute gift packages

There are always going to be those last minute shoppers. These could be shoppers that have not even started their holiday shopping or it could be shoppers that forgot about a certain person. Either way, lining the aisles with last minute gift packages is a great way to meet their shopping needs, while also pushing the sales of items you won?t be able to sell after the holidays. Use flashy labels and decals to draw attention to these items. On average, consumers are exposed to 3,000 ads and promotional messages every day. You want to make sure they notice these gift packages.

Set up a gift card display stand

Gift cards are probably the most preferred last minute gift idea. Shoppers don?t have to spend too much time thinking about the perfect gift and can quickly grab a bunch of different gift cards. Set up your holiday gift card display similar to your custom pop displays. Use outdoor mesh banners to remind guests that you sell gift cards. It could even draw shoppers into your store that had not planned on coming there.

The last couple weeks of the year closes out the profit quarters for many businesses. These next few weeks will decide how close you were to your initial business goals. You can still push out a good amount of profits with last minute shoppers. Use custom pop displays, outdoor banner installations, and holiday themed items to push additional sales.