How Super Saturday can Boost your Retail Holiday Sales (With 5 Proven Approaches by Shopping Revenue Experts)

Retail has had a remarkable year. Black Friday is barely behind you and now it’s time to turn your attention to that last-minute dash for holiday gift sales—the increasingly important, Super Saturday.

It’s a highly competitive time of year, and no doubt many retailers will be eyeing an extra sales kick to ease some of the pain of COVID-related closures, trading restrictions and just downright 2020 frustration.

So let’s talk about Super Saturday and what it means for you as a retailer. 

In this article, we’re going to look at:

Super Saturday:

Super Saturday is Saturday just before Christmas. 

The last push for holiday sales is this one. It falls on the last day of Christmas, which is December 19. With rush shipping online, customers can still get their orders by Christmas Day.

“It’s a really important day for retailers as it serves as the close to the holiday shopping season that begins on Black Friday,” says Jacqueline Snyder, Product startup expert, fashion designer, co-founder of a popular podcast and platform for small businesses coaching. The Product Boss.

“This tends to be a huge day for foot traffic to brick-and-mortar retailers as it is oftentimes too late to buy gifts online and it is a perfect opportunity to put seasonal merchandise on sale. It’s the last big push for retailers before post-Christmas markdowns,” says Jacqueline.

Although Super Saturday’s proximity to Cyber Monday and Black Friday might discourage retailers from spending more resources to attract customers, it is still proving to be an important day for businesses that want to close the year strong. Super Saturday was so popular that it saw record-breaking retail sales last year. $34.4 billionIt beat 2018 by 7%, and was even better than Black Friday by 10%. 

These are sales numbers you shouldn’t ignore!

This Super Saturday will be different

But of course, it’s 2020, so this year the pre-holiday sales rush might be a little different.

“Super Saturday typically drives large in-store traffic as customers are rushing to pick up last-minute gifts. However, this year with the pandemic, and the large shift to online shopping, the in-store numbers will not be as high,” said Hillary Senko Cullum, a retail advisor, with 15 years of experience working with global brands like Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Dolce & Gabbana and Gucci.

Even though store visits may be dropping, that doesn’t mean customer expectations will, says Hillary. “It will be very important for brands and retailers to adjust their fulfillment offerings to ensure customers still have the ease and flexibility to access the product,” she says.

“I expect to see a high volume of BOPIS—that’s Buy online and pick up in-store —as well as curbside pickup options. It will be essential stores are staffed accordingly to spend more time on picking and fulfillment for the customer, rather than servicing them while they browse the sales floor,” says Hillary.

Five proven strategies to increase sales

Clarity and clarity in communication are key factors to sales growth this holiday season. Hillary advises that customers should understand the following:

• Hours of operation
• Safety in-store
• Cleaning procedures
• Fulfillment options for orders 
• Delivery timelines

It’s also now vital to make sure your online presence represents your Retail Brand and Includes all There are many options inventory. “This year the omnichannel experience is even more important as customers will be switching between online and stores. Making sure all inventory is available to be sold through all channels is key and will provide great benefits,” said Hillary.

“Start educating your customer base via emails and acquiring new customers via paid ads at least a few months before the event. Then, you can nurture the relationship, talk about your story and when the big day comes, you can ask your loyal followers and customers for support.” — Dr. Pooneh Ramezani, Co-Founder of Dr. Brite. 

Here’s what else retailers can do to make the most of Super Saturday this year.

1. Pick up curbside and local delivery same day

Jacqueline from the Product Boss suggests that retailers can provide alternative shopping options for Super Saturday if shoppers are not able to go in person. “Meet those last-minute needs by offering curbside pickup and same-day local delivery. Really lean into meeting the needs of local customers—the ones that would be physically shopping in stores if there was no pandemic,” says Jacqueline.  

“You will be servicing your customer through more channels so flexibility and preparation is the key. Be ready to meet your customer where they are, whether that is online, at the curbside or if they want to come in and shop in person.”  — Hillary Senko Cullum, Wholesale and Retail Consultant, at HSC Advisors.

2. Excel shipping costs and times

Hillary says the trend of the past eight months—with the increase in Ecommerce sales penetration—will continue. “Many customers will opt to complete the entire purchase journey online and will expect the product to be shipped and to arrive in time for Christmas. Retailers need to have very clear communication about their shipping options to ensure customer service does not falter,” she says.

Free shipping is an option if you are able. That’s the suggestion of Jonathan Frey, CMO of Urban Bikes Direct. “Shipping costs are one of the most common causes of shopping cart abandonment. The solution is to offer free shipping. If free shipping just isn’t on the cards, consider framing your Super Saturday sales offer in a way that customers will perceive as offsetting shipping rates,” says Jonathan. 

“For example, you might offer a discount that matches or exceeds the cost of shipping. In any case, make any shipping or additional costs clear relatively early in the buyer’s journey. If shoppers know about them ahead of time, they will be much less likely to abandon their carts,” adds Jonathan.

3. Segmented email marketing offers

To make the most of your email list at this time of year, start by analyzing your customers’ buying patterns, suggests Gilad Rom, the CEO of HuanSmart Tags for Pets is a retail store. “Create a segmented email marketing list highlighting your last-minute holiday promotions and offers. Target customers who haven’t shopped with you in a while with a ‘we miss you’ email campaign.”

Jacqueline concurs and recommends retailers segment their email addresses to customers in driving or delivery range. Jacqueline also suggests sharing ways you can help curbside pick-up or local delivery.

You can also liquidate inventory on Super Saturday to end the year. Creating exclusive bundles that you don’t regularly offer by email can help you repackage inventory that has been sitting on your shelves for too long. This can be used by seasonal retailers such as golf pro shops to sell their inventory before they close for winter. Golf courses can also take advantage of the discounts offered by pro shops, allowing them to gift their customers golf round as gifts.

4. Participate on social media [however you can]

You can also support Super Saturday by getting noticed on social media. “If you have the budget to spare, boost your social media advertising to increase your brand visibility to a wider audience,” suggests Gilad. “With the current pandemic, people are spending more time online so it would be a shame not to capitalize on the opportunity.”

If you can’t afford ads, don’t fret. “If you don’t have the budget for ads or if you want to make an organic push then show up on social media and utilize video,” suggests Jacqueline. “Go live and give a wide shot of all the amazing products in your store. You can also go live to share products, just as you would on home shopping networks. It’s also possible to post pictures and videos of the products on your posts and stories. If you have a Facebook presence and community, I’d advise doing the same,” she says.

5. Personalize the experience 

Smaller retailers have the potential to thrive in this area. FitSmallBusinessMeaghan Brophy is an analyst in retail and ecommerce. “Adding a personalized touch, such as engravings, embroidery, painted accents, screen printing or monograms to gift items is a great way to boot upsells while also drawing in customers looking for a thoughtful or one-of-a-kind gift,” says Meaghan.

Super Saturday is a great opportunity to make the most out of it

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), each consumer will spend approximately $80. Spend $1,000 on GiftsThe end-of year sales season will see holiday merchandise, such as food, decorations, and clothing. After a difficult year for retailers, it’s never been more important to capitalize on upcoming shopping opportunities, like Super Saturday, to get a piece of holiday shoppers’ budget. 

This doesn’t mean you need to reinvent the wheel either. Be a part of the momentum that is already in place. Black Friday and Cyber Monday strategyYou can reuse promotions and tactics that were originally designed for these dates, and then repackage them to make it easy to shop last-minute. 

It’s time to put your sales efforts into high gear to get customers new and old to choose your store this Super Saturday. Have fun!

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