The summer season season is (nearly) in full swing. And whereas vacationer and hospitality industries typically see a boon in gross sales, conventional retail can see gross sales cool because the temperatures warmth up. This droop in gross sales is because of many patrons selecting to spend their cash on journeys, outside live shows and festivals and sporting occasions, simply to call a few examples.
However this droop doesn’t must be accepted as the established order. In truth, good retailers can money in on the tourism spending this time of yr, whereas nonetheless advertising to native clients.
Whether or not your retail enterprise is primarily on-line or additionally has brick-and-mortar places, there are methods to benefit from the summer season promoting season by using a couple of seasonal sales-boosting methods.
And don’t overlook about “Christmas in July.” This quirky mid-year vacation is a superb excuse to run limited-time gross sales, supply holiday-themed bundles or host festive occasions that shock and delight your clients.
Try these summer season advertising concepts and see in case you and your staff can implement them throughout your shops and gross sales channels. (Professional tip: utilizing an environment friendlylevel of sale system also can assist).
Flip extra window consumers into patrons
Gone are the times when “Could I provide help to?” met with an enthusiastic response. Immediately, retailers want to seek out artistic methods of capturing the eye of these wandering into their retailer. This information exhibits you ways.
10 Summer season gross sales and promotions concepts to attempt in your retailer
1. Host a summer season occasion
Who doesn’t love a celebration? The summer season months are crammed with BBQs and pool events, so create an occasion that consumers will wish to attend. Crank up the air-con, serve lemonade, and schedule issues like an in-store demonstration by one in all your suppliers, a free class utilizing a few of your merchandise, or a trunk present along with your greatest distributors.
Not solely does this enhance visitors to your retailer, however it helps to construct a way of neighborhood and buyer loyalty.
DermWarehouse, a skincare and sweetness retailer, makes greater than 85% of their gross sales on-line, however nonetheless understand how necessary it’s to get these in-person gross sales of their Columbus retailer. They host a month-to-monthopen homeoccasion sequence the place clients can partake in giveaways, unique promotions, and free skincare consultations.
This has helped them unfold the phrase about their enterprise regionally, and so they see greater than 50 individuals for every occasion. Not solely that, however these individuals inform their family and friends, and every occasion continues to develop—as do gross sales. These occasions are an effective way to push new merchandise and in additioneliminate extra stock with the assistance of goodstock administration. Even when clients don’t store on the occasion, they’ll typically convert in a while.
Summer season promotion thought: collaborate with native occasions
Partnering with native summer season occasions and festivals is a unbelievable solution to promote your retail retailer.
Start by figuring out occasions that align along with your model and attain out to organizers about sponsorship alternatives or organising a pop-up stall. Guarantee you might have:
Eye-catching signageBranded merchandisePromotional supplies (flyers, enterprise playing cards)Interactive components (demos, video games)Moveable POS methods for seamless transactions
These collaborations enhance model visibility and permit for direct buyer engagement, networking alternatives, and a lift in gross sales and buyer loyalty. They improve your retailer’s native presence and entice new clients.
2. Market summer season gross sales to vacationers
For those who get quantity of vacationers in your metropolis throughout the summer season, promote your summer season retailer gross sales to guests by distributing flyers at your native welcome middle and contacting tour firms to create an unique supply for his or her clients.
Based on 2024–2025 knowledge, 96% of vacationers learn on-line opinions earlier than deciding on journey plans, with TripAdvisor internet hosting 1 billion opinions throughout 8.6 million listings (Journey Assessment Statistics (2024–2025)).
So, be sure you’re listed there and on Google Locations. And people vacationers are nonetheless on social media even once they’re on trip, so ramp up your efforts on-line to extend your visibility.
Clients might be posting photographs from commencement events, holidays, and holidays; be sure you’re seen of their feed in order that they’re enticed to buy. Higher but, incentivize them to speak about you on Fb, Instagram, and Twitter by providing vacationers a reduction coupon in the event that they share a photograph of themselves on summer season trip utilizing your merchandise and tagging you within the picture.
3. Run summer season loyalty program promotions
Operating a summer-specificloyalty program can considerably increase retail gross sales.
Begin by introducing a program that rewards clients for repeat purchases throughout the season with unique perks. Promote this program by e mail advertising, social media and in-store signage to make sure most visibility.
To get essentially the most out of your summer season loyalty promotion, think about providing:
Unique reductions: supply reductions on summer season services or products for loyalty members.Double factors days: designate particular days the place members earn double factors for his or her purchases.Seasonal rewards: create rewards like branded seaside towels, solar hats, or journey kits for reaching sure spending thresholds.Referral bonuses: encourage present members to refer mates by providing bonus factors or reductions for profitable referrals.
You can even take your loyalty program a step additional by bundling widespread seasonal gadgets right into a limited-time summer season subscription field. These curated containers can embrace bestsellers, new arrivals or unique merchandise, and are an effective way to shock and delight loyal clients whereas growing common order worth.
4. Get open air
Foot visitors tends to extend throughout the hotter summer season months for each locals and vacationers, so make your visible merchandising one thing that stops all of them of their tracks. If it’s possible, push your retailer exterior by organising show tables or racks out in entrance of your retailer on the sidewalk. These passing by will see what you need to supply and almost certainly wish to come inside to see extra.
Your home windows are key actual property, so be sure you’re visually merchandising these in a enjoyable and inventive method that may draw consumers into your doorways. Reap the benefits of a summer- or travel-themed window show, or just create a compelling visible assortment of merchandise most related for hotter months—suppose hats and visors, sun shades, lip balm, moisturizers, outside toys and many others.
Extra than simply home windows, use signage on the sidewalk or walkway so it might’t be missed. If in case you have a sidewalk easel, tie a couple of balloons to the perimeters and promote a sale or new summer season merchandise.
Take it a step additional by internet hosting a sidewalk sale. These occasions are a confirmed solution to entice foot visitors and create a way of urgency. Supply marked-down gadgets, bundle offers or “purchase one, get one” presents on seasonal merchandise. Promote your sidewalk sale prematurely by social media and native occasion listings to maximise turnout and visibility.
5. Seasonal product promotions
Talking of recent summer season merchandise, now could be the proper time to create or inventory restricted version merchandise that cater to the summer season months and vacationers.
Be sure you’re not losing time including new stock to your level of sale—useLightspeed NuORDER, our built-in B2B catalog to import stock photographs and knowledge and get new summer season merchandise out on the ground quick.
Summer season sale thought: don’t simply promote particular person merchandise, create seasonal product bundles
Dr. Barbara Sturm does a wonderful job right here. She sells a particular “Summer season Equipment,” which comprises 7 merchandise particularly “designed to take care of hydrated, wholesome and glowing pores and skin throughout the hotter months.”
By following the instance set by Dr. Barbara Sturm and providing unique summer-themed merchandise, you possibly can faucet into the seasonal pleasure and cater to the wants of your clients, guaranteeing a profitable summer season advertising marketing campaign.
6. Run flash weather-based promotions
Implementing weather-based promotions can interact clients by addressing their instant wants—like needing to get some further safety from the solar.
You might:
Use dynamic pricing: regulate costs primarily based on climate situations. As an example, supply reductions on ice cream throughout warmth waves to draw clients searching for cool treats.Run promotional reductions: create particular presents for loyalty program members tied to particular climate occasions. On significantly sizzling days, promote sunblock and sun shades at discounted costs with purchases for loyalty members.
Ensure that to announce any weather-based promotions on social media to create buzz. Use catchy hashtags and interesting visuals to attract consideration to your presents. For instance, submit a couple of “Sunny Day Sale” on Instagram with shiny, cheerful imagery.
7. Maintain a contest
With regards to that seasonal merchandise, think about holding a contest or giveaway that encourages your clients to submit designs to be featured on restricted version merchandise and rewards them with reductions on the ultimate merchandise. Not solely are you protecting your loyal clients concerned and invested and engaged in your model, however you’re additionally getting nice concepts for designs and merchandise that clients really need.
Everybody likes the possibility to win one thing, so away from the seasonal merchandise, brainstorm concepts that may encourage word-of-mouth promoting all whereas growing the visitors to your retailer. This might imply gifting away raffle tickets for a free prize to those that make a purchase order or encouraging clients to share their summer season photos in your social media channels. The picture that will get essentially the most likes, will get the reward card to your retailer.
The aim is to extend interplay and construct model consciousness, so make the prize related to your model or merchandise. That is additionally an effective way to assist liquidate further stock that could be taking over house in your cabinets.
8. Create a singular expertise
Whereas this must be a aim year-round, summer season is a superb time to deal with how one can encourage clients to remain in your retailer and inform all their mates about how distinctive you’re. Customers will return to your retailer for an expertise, not only for merchandise, so create one thing utterly your personal—whether or not that’s an in-store demo/class, a take-home trial, or an on-site skilled.
From the music enjoying in your store to the seating areas you select to supply, these aesthetics are key to protecting clients in retailer as soon as they arrive. Encourage them to stay round longer by providing free Wi-Fi, refreshments, and a clearance bin behind the shop—consumers love deal. The concept is to supply them greater than only a shelf filled with merchandise. Supply them one thing they’ll wish to inform their family and friends about.
Contemplate curating a summer-themed playlist to set the tone—suppose upbeat, beachy tracks that match the season. In case your retailer format permits, designate a “cool zone” with followers or moveable AC models the place clients can chill out, particularly on sizzling days. This not solely enhances consolation but additionally encourages longer visits.
The attire retailer William B does an incredible job with its in-store expertise technique. Along with carrying merchandise, the workers at William B go above and past to make sure that clients have a good time in-store.
Their actions embrace:
Serve free champagne Providing to take any gadgets off your arms and arrange a becoming room so you possibly can browse the shop freelyPresent seating throughout the shop on your companion (e.g., important different or youngsters)Supply freebies if you buy 3 or extra gadgetsStrike up conversations and proactively make product suggestions — e.g., “Do you know that this shirt additionally is available in black?”
To streamline all these experiences, particularly for small boutiques or pop-ups, think about using a small enterprise POSsystem that may deal with transactions effectively whereas enhancing the general buyer journey.
9. Be a part of forces
Is there a retailer close by within the space that serves an analogous viewers? Contemplate partnering up with them to create a mixed sale or occasion. Two heads are higher than one, and also you get double the promoting and advertising by teaming up with a like-minded enterprise for a brand new collaborative product launch, giveaway, or summer season occasion. Mix your efforts in a joint e mail to each of your buyer lists, and supply a reduction for purchasing at one another’s shops.
Not solely will you might have the additional benefit of sharing clients, however you’ll additionally share the workload—and the rewards.
Take it a step additional by collaborating with native gala’s or festivals. These occasions typically draw giant crowds and supply glorious publicity. Listed below are a couple of concepts to get began:
Associate with an area summer season truthful to host a pop-up sales space that includes your greatest seasonal merchandiseSponsor a neighborhood occasion like a Fourth of July parade or summer season music competition in alternate for signage and mentionsCoordinate with close by distributors to create a “competition passport” — clients who go to all collaborating shops get a prize or low costUse directories like FairsandFestivals.web to establish upcoming occasions in your space and attain out to organizers early
These partnerships not solely increase visibility but additionally place your model as an energetic a part of the area people. To assist handle stock and checkout throughout a number of places or occasions, built-inretail software programcould make setup and coordination a lot simpler.
10. Maintain your summer season marketing campaign campaigns entrance and middle
You already know what they are saying: out sight, out of thoughts. Maximize the visibility of your summer season advertising initiatives by spotlighting your merchandise in every single place you do enterprise, together with:
In-store summer season vibes
Create window shows on your summer season promotions and arrange merchandising shows related to the season. Be certain that groups throughout all of your shops are ready to have interaction consumers. They must be absolutely conscious of your summer season merchandise and promos with the intention to talk and relay the data successfully.
Summer season colours and content material in your web site
You understand how we talked about beefing up your window shows and in-store merchandising? Apply the identical rules on-line by curating a piece in your web site devoted to summer season merchandise. For greatest outcomes, show a banner in your homepage to encourage clients to buy your seasonal gadgets.
Take a look at this instance from the reward store Metropolis Chook. The entrance web page of their web site has a banner selling their “Summer season Favorites,” and clicking by the banner takes you to a curated web page crammed with summer-themed merchandise.
Participating social media campaigns for summer season
Bought a powerful social media presence? See to it that your followers and followers find out about all the nice belongings you’re providing this summer season. Often submit photographs, movies, and tales to have interaction your viewers.
For those who’re on Instagram, think about making a devoted Spotlight showcasing all of your summer-centric content material, offering clients with easy accessibility to your thrilling choices once they go to your Instagram profile.
Take a look at what Metropolis Chook is doing.
Well timed summer season e mail and SMS messages
Lastly, hold your communication geese in a row (i.e., e mail and SMS advertising). Now’s the time to give you compelling messages and campaigns to reel in new and present clients.
The underside line
Though you will have seen a gross sales droop in summers previous, that doesn’t all the time must be the case. Folks typically have extra time to buy in the summertime, so benefit from each vacationers and locals that might be strolling previous your retailer.
Implement the methods above throughout your shops and gross sales channels, and also you’ll be properly in your solution to scorching summer season gross sales. As summer season winds down, think about launching early back-to-school promotions in late July or early August to maintain momentum going and entice households getting ready for the brand new college yr. Be sure you’re stocked and arranged for the season forward with the properstock administration software program.
Don’t overlook to replicate in your summer season efficiency. Observe metrics like foot visitors, loyalty program sign-ups and coupon redemption charges to judge marketing campaign ROI and establish what labored greatest. These insights can assist you intend much more efficient promotions subsequent yr.
Lightspeed Retail has highly effective capabilities for executing compelling advertising campaigns. Whether or not you’re on the lookout for deep buyer insights to tell your choices or want instruments to drive gross sales and buyer loyalty, Lightspeed has bought you coated.
Prepared to debate your distinctive wants?Speak to a retail skilled right this moment
Incessantly requested questions on profitable summer season promotions and gross sales
What are efficient summer season occasion concepts to draw clients?
Host in-store occasions like BBQs, events or product demonstrations. Present refreshments, giveaways and unique promotions to create a enjoyable, partaking environment.
How can I market my retail retailer to summer season vacationers?
Distribute flyers at native welcome facilities, listing your retailer on evaluate websites like Yelp and TripAdvisor and supply unique offers to vacationers by partnerships with tour firms.
What are some summer-specific loyalty program concepts?
Supply unique reductions on summer season merchandise, double factors days, seasonal rewards like branded seaside gear and referral bonuses to encourage repeat purchases.
What are some partaking summer season retailer show concepts?
Arrange tables or racks exterior your retailer, use summer-themed window shows, and add eye-catching signage. Balloons and easels can entice foot visitors and draw clients inside.
