Some of JCK's Retail Panelists recently shared their most successful promotional campaigns, designed to drum up business quickly and effectively. Many of these ideas are utilized in the crucial fourth quarter.
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Consider merchandise-specific campaigns Susan's Jewelers, Corpus Christi, Texas, sold 400 sterling-silver guardian-angel pins for Valentine's Day, 300 miniature Fabergé-style eggs at Easter, and 750 Hershey's Kisses pendants during Christmas.
—Denny Bales, Susan's Jewelers -
Promote an in-house glass blower who will sign custom-made Christmas ornaments.
—Brenda Newman, The Jewelry Source, El Segundo, Calif. -
Give custom-made Christmas balls (with the store logo on one side and a holiday scene on the other) to customers who make purchases exceeding $50. Let customers pick a decoration from an in-store Christmas tree to get a discount on a future purchase.
—Dean Rolls, Ohlsen Jewelers Design Studio, Hastings, Neb. -
Hold a men's day and a women's day one week and two weeks, respectively, before Christmas. Let customers come in two weeks prior to their "day" and place items on layaway, and on the day of the event have them pick a Christmas ball containing a discount card from an in-store tree and use the discount toward their purchase. When Allison's Custom Jewelryin Sidney, Ohio, ran this promotion, the store rang up 240 sales worth $79,000 on men's day.
—Jon Allison, Allison's Custom Jewelry -
Put the names of recent purchasers into a weekly drawing for holiday cash back and each week give one customer a cash refund on his or her purchase. If customers use their refunds in store, give them an additional 20 percent discount.
—Jody Rusconi, Graystone Jewelers, Eureka, Calif. -
Be creative with variations on the idea of the classic gift certificate. Miner's North Jewelers, Traverse City, Mich., sent out more than 500 $100 gift certificates good toward the purchase of one item, "no strings attached," and got a 75 percent return. Norris Jewelers, Milford, Ohio, sent out postcards—including some with $25 or $50 gift certificates attached—to its database of customers and netted $50,000 in sales for a $1,500 investment. A Canadian jeweler sent a $25 gift certificate to its top 200 clients with no minimum purchase necessary. About 46 percent were returned with an average sale of $150.
—Beth Guntzuiller, Miner's North Jewelers; Dale Robertson , Morris Jewelers; and a Canadian jeweler who prefers to remain anonymous