It’s Valentine’s Day, and love is in the air! This holiday, more than any other, customers will be coming into your floral shop to find the perfect gift for their special someone. That may be a significant other, a parent, or even a teacher or coach — so make sure you have the right in-store promotions to satisfy their needs. Here are a few ways to do just that:
1. Start with the Basics
Before you do any in-store promotion, make sure your marketing basics are in order. This will ensure you have everything you need to provide the flowers your customers want.
• Review your customer base and last year’s orders to know who you’ll be promoting to. Is it mostly men? Women? What age group? This is vital information to hone your marketing message and purchase the right products for this year.
• Hire the extra staff you need to help during this big floral holiday. Make sure to include additional drivers or delivery people — or set things up with a local delivery service in advance.
• Order enough flowers and supplies, so you don’t run out. Again, knowing last year’s orders will help ensure you have enough of a particular flower in stock. It will also prevent you from stocking something that didn’t sell well last year.
2. Show Your Love with Decorations
Valentine’s Day is a fun time to fill your shop with red, pink, and white decorations, hearts, cupids, and more. You can find plenty of materials — and ideas — at your local hobby shop or party supply store.
• Create stunning window displays featuring your Valentine’s Day arrangements. Focus on the flowers, of course, but also make sure the signage is clear, and passers-by can easily see any special offers for Valentine’s Day.
• Set up Valentine’s Day sections in your store, one close to the register area and one by the front door. Make these areas stand out with decorations and signage that clearly communicate your offers and promotions.
• When you’re decorating, ensure the window displays and interior decorations match. If your design is different in the window than in the store itself, it could be jarring and a bit confusing for customers. You want to make it as easy as possible for them to buy.
3. Create Unique Valentine’s Day Gifts
Everyone’s looking for a special or unique Valentine’s Day gift, so make sure your store has many different gift options. This will satisfy both your regular customers and new customers who need ideas on what to purchase.
• Source unique flowers from around the world — ones you wouldn’t usually have in your store — and create special arrangements with them. And, of course, make sure you have those traditional heart-shaped arrangements on hand as well.
• Gift sets add value for customers and extra income for your store. So, create some interesting gift sets by combining floral arrangements with candles, chocolates, stuffed animals, and similar items.
• Since both men and women will be shopping for Valentine’s Day, set up a section of “For Him” and “For Her” gift sets. Keep these close to the register area for impulse purchases and last-minute gift ideas.
4. Offer Different Pricing Tiers
Customers will want to spend different amounts on their Valentine’s Day flowers, so provide plenty of options. By giving people a variety of price ranges, you’ll increase their buying confidence, satisfaction, and loyalty.
• Design multiple arrangements at three price points: low, medium, and high. Then place these arrangements in your store with signage showing their price points.
• Use outdoor signage to advertise the different price tiers and available arrangements. This can bring in shoppers who may not have come in otherwise since they see how much you have to offer in their price range.
• Promote some of your lower-priced offers as “in-store-only” on social media, which will give followers an incentive to come into the shop. Then, when they come in, they may just see something in a higher price range that they like even better!
We hope these in-store marketing and promotional tips will help you make this Valentine’s Day your best one yet. Share your decorations on social media and tag us so we can promote your store!