Summer 2020 - 6

WEATHERING
the storm
SUPPOR TING CU S T O MERS AND WRAPPING
GIFT S IN CHANGING TIME S
The holiday season will be different this year,
no matter what. Regardless of the state of affairs in
November and December, and whether we're still
quarantined and social distancing, or if we are postpandemic,
we will have seen people change as a result
of this universal experience.
Retailers will need to support customers where they
are, either through continued curbside and delivery
experience or in stores. Crowds may be smaller, but the
wish to show we care by giving gifts will still exist.
WILL SALES BE PREDOMINANTLY PICKED
UP CURBSIDE?
While local and state governments may allow stores
to be back to normal, our new normal might be different.
We may still see many customers utilizing curbside
services. For retailers, this means that websites need
to be robust. With customers shopping from a variety
of devices, it's important that they have an excellent
experience with your website.
Here's what your website will need to have:
1. Excellent photography will be a must; work
with makers to ensure you have several shots
of each item.
2. Creative descriptions: tell the story of each
item, from paper texture and weight to colors
and special finishes.
3. Enough bandwidth - if your traffic in-store
quadruples around the holiday season, know
that you will probably need to quadruple your
bandwidth for Holiday 2020.
4. Great offers to entice customers to shop online.
Another great way to reach customers is via window
vignettes. Show off some favorites, marked with item
numbers, and suggest customers call your store to learn
more and purchase those items. This will also allow you
to upsell and suggest items that may be only online.
POST-PANDEMIC IN-PERSON SHOPPING
After everything that we've seen this year so far,
customers may still be nervous to shop post-pandemic. Be
prepared with a plan of how to keep your customers and
employees safe during the busy holiday season. Whether
this is offering free hand sanitizer, a robust cleaning
program or any other safety measures, they should be
outlined on your website as well as on your door.
Circle 403
IN-STORE GIFT WRAPPING
A perennial favorite is a great differentiator this
holiday season. Consider offering gift wrapping, either
complimentary or for a nominal fee in order to introduce
a new revenue stream. Choose one to three designs
of ream wrap, matching bows and gift tags and add a
sticker with your store's logo that goes with the designs
chosen. In addition, consider adding an upgrade that
customers can purchase, such as a custom bow with
ribbons that complement the wrap chosen.
GIFT WRAPPING SETS
As an impulse item, create gift wrap sets at your
register for customers to grab for gifts purchased
elsewhere. Choose several wraps, bows, gift tags
and ribbons and package them together to add to the
shopping experience. You can include these wrap sets in
your window vignettes as well!
WHAT'S NEW FOR HOLIDAY 2020 FROM TGWC?
Some of the favorite themes TGWC will be offering
for holiday 2020 include traditional red and green
Christmas, holiday snowflakes, and the popular winter
wonderland set.
" Any time there has been a crisis, globally or
nationally, the following holiday season saw a shift back
to traditional holiday gift wrap designs, " said Nancy
Dickson, creative director at The Gift Wrap Company.
Dickson suggests that stores look at the traditional icons
and colors that her team has created as well as the Winter
Wonderland collection.
To add something fun to your display, include designs
from the Go Brightly collection, which encompasses
traditional bottle brush trees in brilliant, happy shades
of bright plumbs, acid green, mustard and pink along
with baubles and matching tissue and ribbons. The
" candyshop colors, " as Dickson calls them, are sure to
put a smile on the gift giver's and receiver's faces alike.
As always, TGWC's collection includes many
Hanukkah designs, foil and glitter, kraft paper, winter
styles not specific to any holiday, santas, llamas,
penguins and everything else imaginable.
To learn more about this year's offerings from
TGWC, visit www.giftwrapcompany.com. Check out
the Holiday 2020 catalog at www.giftwrapcompany.
com/catalogs.
ADVERTISEMENT | © 2020 The Gift Wrap Company
http://www.giftwrapcompany.com http://www.giftwrapcompany
Summer 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Summer 2020
