Speciality-Food-Magazine-November-December-2024

@specialityfood Make sure you have tested any new processes or systems well ahead of the busy period. How to cope with busy periods? Planning is key to Christmas and one that the whole business has bought into. Try and get ahead with email marketing and core messages for social media to take the pressure off. Know your last posting dates early so that you can keep customers informed. Weekly updates on the plan so everyone stays on track and objectives are achieved. Plan for sickness – it always happens, so having a plan to cover for staff members just makes sense. Remember to breathe and take 26 It’s the most wonderful time of the year, so we’ve gathered expert tips on how to make this festive season one to remember products – they create memorable experiences. Outstanding customer service is essential during the festive period. If you need to hire seasonal staff, make sure they’re well-trained to embody the festive spirit. Enhance the shopping experience by making queues more enjoyable – consider offering mince pies or mulled wine. You might even implement a “festive concierge” service, where an assistant helps with gift wrapping, product suggestions, and delivery options, making the shopping process smoother. ALISON WRIGHT FOUNDER OF FITZBILLIES We love to create something worth visiting with our windows, and for us that means a combination of our brand’s story and heavily featuring our key products. At our Trumpington Street store, we have a wonderful big window dating from 1920, so making it tell our story is really important. We also use the tables in the restaurant and coffee shops as a location to display our Christmas brochure and product samples, so that customers know they can order via the website or buy our products to take home. Top tips for giving good customer service at Christmas? Encourage customers to order early to make it as stress-free as possible. Have well-trained and happy staff - service with a smile goes a long way. Ensure stock can be replenished on counters easily and quickly throughout the day. Train your staff to upsell, sales are key at this time of year. LAURA ROBERTS OWNER OF LAURA’S LARDER Classic comforts Time-honoured favourites like mince pies, rich chocolates, and MARK KACARY, OWNER OF THE NORFOLK DELI There are many ways in which a business can set itself up for Christmas sales. One very traditional method/way is to introduce an area where anything and everything that looks, sounds and tastes like Christmas is located. It’s a great way to decorate the store (or that section at least) and to give it 100% Christmas. Do you start playing Christmas music in October? We don’t but that’s simply so that we remain sane enough to tackle Christmas proper in the last two weeks before Christmas. It should be always remembered that people will spend much of October just taking a look at what you have although some people will start their Christmas shopping early so it’s important to make it look good. However, we also believe that to be successful and to know what you should stock you should get to know your surrounding area and what competition you have. I will always remember that in our first year we went Christmas mad! We bought anything and everything that you would pair with Christmas. We forgot that we were in a small town shared with two mid-sized supermarkets and two convenience stores. Suffice to say the size of the sale of Christmas goodies in January was excessive. Understand what makes you different and play to that to differentiate yourself for Christmas. Is it that you create magnificent gift hampers? Is it (like us) that your main selection of products are made locally and therefore not available in the supermarkets which means that they are unique and therefore special? Do not be afraid to shout out as loud as you can what it is that you are doing for Christmas. Is it a special Christmas shopping evening? Arrange one for your VIP customers those who are regular shoppers and make them feel special – provide a little mulled wine and mince pies on the evening. Hold tasting events such as cheese tasting for cheeses which will be that little bit extra special on the Christmas cheeseboard. For wine tastings, spirits tastings and so on, invite producers in to promote their products. Ensure that you are using as many social media platforms as you are comfortable with. You will be amazed how many people you wouldn’t expect to be using Instagram or Facebook actually follow you. Do you have an email subscribers list? Tell them what you are doing/selling. Start the habit of a weekly email. Make it fun, make it quirky – stand out from the crowd! KARIM SALAMA FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF E-INNOVATE Probably the most effective approach for holiday marketing is to weave storytelling into your products - consumers want to connect emotionally during festive times. Consider creating bundles that tell a story – like artisan cheese selections with pairing suggestions, alongside cards that share heartfelt anecdotes about family gatherings at Christmas. When setting up displays, aim to engage all the senses – not just sight. Use rich colours like deep greens and warm reds to evoke the season’s spirit. Don’t forget about scent; the aroma of cinnamon, cloves, or freshly baked bread can draw customers in. Think of iconic displays, like those at Selfridges, which do more than showcase HOWTOSELL CHRISTMAS seasonal cheeses are always crowd- pleasers. We focus on stocking high-quality versions of these, from panettone to fine wines and indulgent treats, ensuring they feel both familiar and luxurious. Stocking fillers with a twist Eye-catching stocking fillers are essential. We look for playful, unique items—from artisanal chocolates to festive-themed goodies—that make perfect quick gifts. These are front and centre in our displays, ready to catch the eye of those last-minute shoppers. Events and experiences We’re all about creating experiences, so our wine tasting ANDY SWINSCOE OWNER OF COURTYARD DAIRY Promote Wensleydale (Or Lancashire) and Christmas Cake – you can get that extra sale on top of the cheeseboard and it creates a talking point. Don’t forget truffled products – Truffled Baron is brilliant and we make it front and centre at Christmas; it just flies out (whereas the rest of the year it can struggle). Get click and collect orders in now; and at the pickup station/area have some ready prepared ‘Grab n Go’ bits customers can easily add on without having to queue for the main cheese counter – e.g. crackers/chutneys/truffled Brie