fbpx Now that 2017 is in full swing, what plans are you making for your store this year? Make sure to check out the 2017 Retail Trends Report to learn more about what you can expect this year, including increased customer expectations for their online and in-store experience. When thinking about increasing your sales this year, you should consider what holidays exist each month that you can use as traffic driving events. Here are some of the important dates and events to look forward to this month:

Exchanging and Returning Holiday Gifts

It’s no surprise that January is filled with people coming back into your store to exchange or return gifts they received over the holidays. Consider creating a marketing campaign that can help shoppers know your store hours, your return and exchange policy, and what other specials your store is running at the time. Once customers are in your store, offer promotions that encourage them to either stay in your store and shop or return to your store in the coming weeks to use a time-sensitive coupon.

New  Year’s Resolutions

January is always filled with many people making resolutions to have a better year. Your shoppers may want to live healthier by eating better or working out more, or they may want to spend more time with family and focus on being nicer to others. Whatever resolutions your customers are making, it’s important to set your store up to help them succeed in those endeavors. If you’re a specialty run store, you might run a promotion that centers around your products helping people meet their healthy living goals.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

This year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day  falls on Monday, January 16th. This holiday is a bank holiday, meaning a lot of people will be off of work, giving you the opportunity to drive more traffic into your store. It might be worth sending out an in-store coupon or hosting a sale on this holiday to encourage people to stop in on their day off. You can also use this opportunity to move some of your extra inventory – check out this blog on how to make more money with your markdowns. Stay tuned next month to learn about what’s going on in February!