All in the Family

Mother's Day and Father's Day are the two days during the year when we officially do something that we should do every day — honor our parents. These are the days when we let them know how much they are appreciated for all they do.

For retailers, these occasions offer an opportunity to boost second quarter sales. According to the research of the National Retail Federation (NRF), consumers will spend nearly $25 billion for these holidays, with an average 35 percent of consumers doing some or all of their shopping in specialty and greeting card stores.

Mother's Day and Father's Day also offer gift retailers an ideal opportunity to reach out to two hard-to-reach consumer groups: men and younger customers — teens and tweens — whose business they can cultivate for future returns.

Face it: the majority of men are not big shoppers. But one of the few occasions a year when they are forced to shop (no matter how much they may dislike it) is Mother's Day. When it comes to attracting their business, service is a key; and of course, service is the forte of the specialty gift retailer.

Many men utilize “commando” or “strike force” shopping techniques. They enter a store and locate what they want immediately, then swoop down on it, make the purchase and leave. But if they don't see what they want immediately, they just leave.

Retailers need to engage these commando shoppers with a calculated counter strategy to seize their attention right away. Make shopping easy for them, as well as everyone else, putting your best display up front. “We have a large table display, right when you walk in the store, that changes with the seasons,” explains April McCrumb of Catching Fireflies, Berkley, MI. “We put together a montage of goodies that are appropriate for the current occasions.”

An up-front display is bound to capture attention, but make sure that staff is on the lookout for men coming through the front door. The offer of a little help and a good gift suggestion may be all you need to tip the scale toward making a purchase — especially when it comes to choosing something special for the women in their lives. “People really appreciate gift-giving ideas,” notes McCrumb. “It's a tough job finding that perfect goody for someone special. We try to make [men's] job easier by recommending items we think would be a big hit.”

And when it comes to spending on gifts for their ladies, men tend not to be tightwads; if 2007 figures are any indicator, those commandos will spend upwards of $170 on Mother's Day gifts.

Next to Christmas, Mother's Day offers gift retailers the best opportunity to draw younger customers into their stores. These youngsters represent the next generation of consumer, and cultivating their business early on will show them what your store has to offer in the way of merchandise and service.

“A lot of dads come in with their children to help pick gifts out for their wives and their mom,” says McCrumb. When this happens, retailers double their opportunities — not only can they make Dad a customer, they can also woo the kids for future business.

But if they want kids to come on their own, there are other things retailers can do to make their store stick out. Today's kids have grown up with computers and the Internet; they are much more apt to shop — or at least go looking for product and gift suggestions — online. If your store doesn't have a Web presence yet, you may be missing out on this demographic. (And not just with the younger set; tech-savvy men are also more likely to source and shop online.) “We started putting together 'gift guides' that are available online,” notes McCrumb. “And I also promote them in my e-news and blog.”

You might also want to “get into their heads” a little and develop a sense of what appeals to younger shoppers. As Bettie Edwards of The Little House, Vashon Island, WA, puts it, “You need a WWTKWYTC — a We Want to Know What You Think Club.”

Edwards invites a group of kids to bring their own info and input to the table. “A little pizza makes them smile,” she says, and one of her club members always goes away with a small prize — earrings or such — for their efforts. “I'm also taking a sophomore and a junior [in high school] to market with me,” adds Edwards. “They will each actually make two complete jewelry line buys. It's fun to watch their energy!”

Other retailers — such as Christi Tullis of Ambiance Interiors, Suwanee, GA, and Mary Liz Curtin of Leon & Lulu, Clawson, MI — have brought their offspring to market as advisors and/or junior buyers. The kids have a different sense of what's cool and fun. Tullis says there have been times when she was enthusiastic about a product or line, and her daughter reacted exactly the opposite. Once Tullis ignored her daughter's opinion and bought the merchandise anyway — only to rue the decision when the product didn't sell like she thought it would.

Your store may not currently be the kids' main shopping destination (especially if you're not located in a major shopping mall) but their usual destination stores are probably not going to offer a broad selection of gifts appropriate for their moms or dads. If you reach out to them for special occasion shopping, get to know what they like, and offer some unique merchandise, they might make your store a destination — not only for their gifting needs, but also for the shopping experience you gave them.

When it comes to merchandise for Mother's and Father's Day, experienced retailers advise evaluating what you already have on hand that can be merchandised in a fresh way as parental gifts. “We're not doing as much 'seasonal' direct buying,” remarks Bettie Edwards. “It's amazing how much we can find in the store, things that we carry all year, that can be merchandised with a different twist and lots of fun signs.” Presenting merchandise in a different context allows customers to see it in a new light.

Of course, that doesn't mean that you should ignore merchandise that is specific to the occasion, especially greeting cards and gift items that bear specific sentiments for Mom and Dad. And even those gift items have a shelf life beyond the occasion, re-merchandised for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries or “just because.” Make sure to keep a range of price points in your selection, so there's something for every budget.

Whether it's for Mother's Day, Father's Day or any day, the key to successful selling, advises April McCrumb, starts with selecting unique goods at trade shows. Follow that up by “promoting via newsletters or emails, displaying in an eye-catching grouping, and giving great customer service,” adds McCrumb.

And before long you'll have the whole family stopping by.