It’s hard to believe that September starts tomorrow and fall is right around the corner.
But as the weather cools and people venture out to do their holiday shopping, casual retailers have the perfect chance to bring in customers with community-based events that can build brand recognition and offer people in the local area a fun activity.
Here are a few ideas:
- Host a tailgate party
Set up an outdoor tailgate area with grills, outdoor furniture, a big screen and plenty of drinks, and get football season started the right way with your community. Offer fun activities like cornhole or even host a grill-off and serve the food to attendees. To keep people coming in, create a fantasy football game and offer weekly prizes to be collected in-store. - Let the ghoul times roll
Halloween will be here before we know it, and in the spirit of the holiday, let your community know that you’ll be handing out candy and discounts for all customers who shop in a costume.
This is also a perfect opportunity to offer your store as a place where parents can bring children with special needs. Parents of special needs children, or children with allergies who can’t eat certain candy, look for locations advertising teal pumpkins for alternatives to traditional candy — whether that’s toys, snacks or anything else you can think up. - Host a customer appreciation day
Do you love Wednesdays? Or, maybe business is slow on Monday and you want to generate some traffic then. Host a monthly or weekly event that the community can come to expect. This not only gets people in the door and thinking about outdoor furniture, but you can also partner with local vendors (i.e. food trucks, boutique merchants, etc.) to create a special event for the whole community.
Fall weather presents a perfect opportunity to throw outdoor events and showcase the products you have in an environment where people can touch and feel them while also relaxing and enjoying the experience.
