Black Friday is looming in the distance. Are you prepared for the holiday storm brewing ahead? Our Business Intelligence crew shares four key insights that will light the way for 2015.

1. Go Social

Provide the opportunity for consumers to buy at all times by adjusting your holiday retail activation plan to include social media components in advance of in-store tactics. Post sale updates on your channels. Ask your favorite customers to share their recent purchase from your store on their Facebook timeline.

2. Propose Creative Solutions to Supply Constraints

Combat low inventory by increasing replenishment cycles in quantity and frequency. Also, train sales staff prior to the holiday rush to have a clear set of alternate SKUs to emphasize. Think less about the mad dash to your store room and more about pre-planning shelving needs at the end of the workday. Remember, plan your work and then work your retail plan.

3. Don’t Forget Point of Purchase

With so much riding on the season’s performance, have a Break Fix plan in place well in advance to ensure your interactive product displays are working throughout the holidays. Done well, POP will grow sales quickly provided you position products at eye-level.

4. Win with Omni-Channel

With Black Friday mobile sales accounting for 28% of total online sales in 2014, it’s imperative to connect in-store with online, and provide customers with a seamless purchase experience. Mobile will be hot for many years. Why not grow your mobile accessory sales near the checkout counter? Think about your kiosk design displays and place them near your cashiers. Doing so will generate more sales.

For more insights like this, download our Holiday 2015 Retail Prep Guide.

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