This article is reprinted by permission from NerdWallet. Even though it’s early October, retailers have already spent months gearing up for the holiday shopping season. And due to a tornado of factors — including inflation, supply-chain woes and consumer spending habits that changed during COVID-19 lockdowns — retailers are looking ahead to a shopping season that promises to be even more challenging than usual.
It’s critical to prepare for the holiday season, because Black Friday and the weeks beyond can make or break a brick-and-mortar store, says Richard Rizika, partner and co-founder of Beta Agency, a commercial real estate agency based in greater Los Angeles. Rizika was also a vice chair in the retail services group at CBRE, one of the world’s largest commercial real estate investment firms. “Many of the merchants haven’t made money this year and are counting on that push through the holiday season to produce the profits,” Rizika says. “If things fall flat, or you miss the merchandise or the consumer just doesn’t show up, it can be tragic.” Thankfully, there are things business owners can do to set themselves apart amid a shopping environment that’s even more cutthroat than usual.1. Get the word out about holiday sales early Gone are the days of customers idly wandering the neighborhood or the mall and popping into stores. Today’s consumers are doing far more research before stepping foot into a store than they ever have, says Sean Turner, co-founder and chief technology officer of Swiftly, an e-commerce technology company. “I think the biggest thing is being able to get the word out to consumers effectively to celebrate the savings and d …