Football. Halloween. Leaves changing colors.
Who doesn’t love fall?
As the weather cools and people venture out to do their holiday shopping, 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:
- Tailgate Party!
It’s the beginning of football season and there is no better time to unite the masses over a community or professional game. Offer a chili contest for all participants and set up a date! Also, create your own fantasy football game and offer weekly prizes to be collected in-store! - Pumpkin Carving Contest
The pumpkins are grown and stands are selling them by the dozens. So, now is the time to host a pumpkin carving contest!
Ask participants to bring their best-carved pumpkins to the store to be on display all month long. Ask patrons to vote on the best pumpkin. Use social media and highlight the entrants, and at the end of the month, the jack-o-lantern with the most votes wins and gets a gift card or item to be picked up in-store (plus, bragging rights for the whole year)!
- Trick or Treat
In the spirit of Halloween, begin promoting that you will be handing out candy and discounts for all customers who shop in a costume.
Encourage creativity and offer prizes for customers who pick a sleep-related theme for their attire. They could dress as a mattress, a sheep for counting, or even a sleep fairy.
Alternatively, offer your store as a locale for parents of children with special needs. Known by the use of an advertised “teal pumpkin,” parents of special needs children (or children with allergies that cannot eat traditional candy) look for locations advertising teal pumpkins. These locations often provide alternatives to candy such as small toys, trinkets, and more.
Teal pumpkin locations are usually rare, which means businesses that advertise teal pumpkins are typically well attended. Use this as an opportunity to connect with customers in your community!
- Host a Fall Fashion Show
As the changing of seasons occurs, so does the wardrobe for many people across the country. Partner with local boutiques or even some bigger retailers in your area for a Labor Day (think Lululemon or Academy) to bring their new merchandise to your store and host a fashion show to display all the new items available for purchase.
Ask retailers if they’d provide a small gift card to their store and offer the cards to local high school or college students in exchange for being models at the show. Split the show into the following attire segments for a greater variety: Business Professional, Work From Home, Casual, Athleisure, and Date Night!
- Host a Harvest Hoedown!
Host an old-fashioned harvest party or a hoedown! Connect with local artisans to sell seasonal merchandise (think soaps, candles, and baked goods), or host a cooking contest and invite people to enter their prize-winning recipes. As the sponsor, offer a valuable gift card to the winner of the contest!
Whatever you decide to do, plan ahead so you can work around any possible issues and have the best in-store events possible.
