Holiday merchandising. You may be thinking, is it really that different than merchandising throughout the rest of the year? Yes and no. Merchandising is all about showing the right products in the right moments to the right people. Though that core goal doesn’t change, consumer behaviors tend to change (quite a bit) during the holiday season. Not to mention, it’s important to consider the unique challenges of 2021 like supply chain issues and iOS 15 updates. So, let’s get into some key merchandising tips and strategies for this holiday season

Lower the Barrier To Entry Through Assortment

AKA, time to get cozy with stocking stuffers. Adding a few lower price-point (brand-appropriate) items makes your brand more accessible to a wider demographic while allowing customers to participate more deeply in the lifestyle that your brand portrays. Stocking stuffers can be a great complementary add-on at checkout to products that you’re already selling. The Carro directory is full of ready-to-retail, high-quality products from loved and trusted Shopify brands.

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Intuitive (Seasonal) Navigation

One of the foundations of strong merchandising is being sure that your customers are able to find the products they want in an intuitive way. As you begin adding seasonal products (from the Carro Brand Partnerships directory), it’s crucial to update your site navigation accordingly. Whether you’re highlighting a holiday collection or 20 gifts under $20, make sure to place those collections front-and-center while also allowing your other products and collections to be found.

Cross-Sell Emails

The holidays just might be one of the best times of year to include cross-selling emails in your strategy. Merchandising your emails in a way that is consistent with your eCommerce merchandising can encourage your customer to see products you sell as “pairs” rather than “single products.”

With Klaviyo, you can include a dynamic product feed in your emails. Dynamic is key because this allows the products to be as up-to-date as possible. With Carro, email Cross-selling is easy through Klaviyo. Promote you and your Carro brand partner’s products together in an email! Need some help setting up those cross-sell flows? Read more here.

Create Seasonal Experiences Around Your Product

Fan bases are often built on the experiences and feelings that brands offer through social channels, emails, and the eCommerce site. It’s important to consistently offer new experiences and “surprise and delight” moments, especially throughout the holidays. Strong creative and storytelling are key to successful holiday campaigns. What are the values of your brand and how can you express that in both digital and IRL experiences?

Social Proof

Social proof is a huge part of how customers make their buying decisions. Get as much UGC, reviews, and influencer partnerships as possible (as early as possible). Especially for your seasonal items that naturally have less social proof content.

Overall, effective eCommerce merchandising is all about offering the right product at the right time to the right customer. Each merchant type and brand is a little different in terms of how that is accomplished (especially during the holidays). If you want to get more in-depth on eCommerce Merchandising with Carro, read our full guide here.

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