Preparing for the Holidays at Your Sports Business

Although it may be hard to believe, the holiday season is almost upon us, and it’s time to start preparing for the winter rush. These next few months are the most important time of the year for any sports and fitness business. So, get your custom packaging boxes ready for the floods of orders and make sure your website is customer friendly so you’ll be ready to conquer this busy rush. Between winter sports camps and clinics and people trying to combat their holiday treat indulgences, traffic tends to increase during this time of year. The holidays are a perfect time for business owners to alter or enhance their operations, growing both revenue and their customer base. Here are guiding tips on how to make the most out of the holidays at your studio or gym.

3 Ways to Get Ready for the Holiday Rush

Timing is Key

The holiday season always sneaks up on people. Businesses need to be on top of their planning if they want to make the most of holiday benefits. Take note of these important considerations

• Nearly 60% of all gift card purchases happen between November and December
• The peak shopping season is November to December
• Holiday promotional plans should be in place 90 days before (mid-to-late October)

Planning for the holidays in October may seem unnecessary. But when November rolls around, consumers are already in holiday mode. Staying ahead of the demand will offer the most return.

Prepare for Gifting

Holiday shopping is undeniably profitable for businesses that can take advantage. For consumers, it can be a hassle. Fitness centers can help alleviate the hassle, as purchasing products from their fitness center retail sector saves time and effort. It’s important for fitness center retail to be well prepared for the holiday season. Here’s how:

• Adequate inventory– it’s more important than ever to keep track of your inventory. Plan ahead to make sure you’re on top of demand
• Clearly marked products– Nothing puts consumers off of buying something more than when they can’t find the price of a product. This is especially important if you are doing discounts and deals on certain items. It might be worth investing in direct thermal printing to make sure all products are clearly labeled.
• New products– the newer the offerings, the more intrigue there will be from customers
• Bundles– packaging different products together convinces customers they are getting more for less
• Membership discounts– the ones most likely to buy fitness retail are those already visiting the studio; give them an incentive to buy.

Prepare for Promotions

A vital aspect of preparing for the holidays is getting the word out. Follow these steps to ensure people know about your holiday plans.

• Website– every aspect of the fitness center needs to advertise the holiday season, and this begins with your website
• Email marketing– an email campaign needs to be utilized to inform customers of special holiday promotions and offerings
• Bundles– as with retail, bundling services and promotions will make purchases more intriguing for consumers

When it comes to holiday shopping, gift cards are king, so you’ll need to make sure that you have the best micros gift card software to enable you to carry out these transactions when it matters the most. When selling gift cards, take note of these things:

• Price– sell gift cards with common dollar amounts. The typical gift cards lay in the $25-100 range, while the average hovers between $40-50
• Bundles– Here they are again. Bundles are very effective. Sell the gift cards in a package with other seasonal products
• Experience-based– offer gift cards that target a specific want in groups. For the holidays, consider offering “New Year’s Resolution” gift cards
• Buyer incentive– the person buying the gift card may want something for themselves. Give discounts on other products with the purchase of any gift card

Wasting the holiday season is a big mistake for any business. These quick steps will give any business owner a head start on a killer holiday plan.