How to Prep Your Shop for Tourist Season Like a Pro

Warmer months usher swarms of free-spending visitors into popular destinations as schools recess and workers go on vacation. Coastal shops, mountain boutiques, park gift stores and other seasonal hubs rely on this annual tourist influx to hit yearly sales goals during short yet lucrative windows. Smart retailers utilize winter downtime preparing merchandise, messaging and customer experiences finely tuned to capitalize on summer crowds browsing local storefronts.

Curation Keys – Stock What Visitors Want

Regional Gifts and Souvenirs

Tourists look for memorable souvenirs that capture the unique atmosphere of the places they visit. Stores exclusively featuring area-specific merchandise make the strongest impression on those travelers accustomed to generic airport gift shops. Showcase talented neighborhood artists and photographers capturing iconic landmarks. Include plenty of branded hats, t-shirts, mugs and magnets prominently touting the destination.

Impulse Items

Vacationers wandering charming downtowns in relaxed exploration mode spend freely on intriguing impulse purchases promising enjoyment during trips or fond remembrances after returning home. Items sparking joy or laughter help to part loosening wallets from their contents. Stock things like funny doormats, coffee table books celebrating local history, colorful hammocks, garden gnomes, nostalgic candies in retro packaging, and other low-cost pick-me-ups sprinkled throughout displays. Sunglasses remain hugely popular quick add-ons capitalizing on sunny locales. Access deals on cases of quality bulk sunglasses from a wholesale supplier like OE Sunglasses, formerly known as Olympic Eyewear, passing significant savings onto tourists seeking deals.

Gearing Up Hospitality

Staffing and Customer Service Training

Successfully navigating heavy customer volumes tests standard operations where short staffing risks abandoned purchases and disappointed visitors unlikely to return. Many seasonal establishments even close certain days to regroup. Bolster teams with temporary summer hires cross-trained handling both floor support and purchasing. Prepare with extensive role playing rehearsing reactions to stressed scenarios like long checkout delays.

Checkout and Payment Evolution

Long lines left without purchase completion drives away future business as customers lose patience. Implement timed checkout goals (e.g. three customers processed under five minutes each) keeping the queue moving quickly. Expand payment options benefiting diverse travelers – contactless terminals, mobile POS systems roving floor traffic, and even PayPal QR codes provide flexibility when debit/credit card swiping bogs down. Consider fast-access prepayment lines for larger souvenir bundles left at the front. Addressing operational issues effectively fosters customer loyalty and referrals.

Physical Store Improvements

Summer Sale Signage and Window Displays

Promotional signage highlights current deals along with curbside chalk art and A-frame boards teasing products seen through bold storefront window advertising. Refresh visual merchandizing monthly to maintain dynamic displays engaging enough for passing cars to pull over spontaneously simply because of sheer curiosity. Foster exploration by showcasing signature items upfront, then scattering additional inventory across themed lifestyle vignettes deep inside, epitomizing local living.

Accessibility and Comfort Considerations

Provide air conditioning respites from summer heat along with cold beverages offered free. Arm staff with bottled water for any patrons appearing distressed. Designate shady side street lounging space for temporary visitor relaxation should stores reach capacity limits. Verify interior accessibility addressing mobility limitations and families with strollers navigating tight spaces filled with fragile items. Proactively remove any trip hazards and widen pathways bottlenecks. Anticipate increased foot traffic patterns when merchandizing.

Conclusion

Welcoming seasonal tourist rushes tests a shop’s operational readiness through strained capacities and thin patience. Retailers willing to implement targeted hospitality enhancements while showcasing specialty regional wares reap substantial summertime sales bumps from travelers seeking authentic local experiences. Dedicate winter downtime to practical preparation between seasons rather than just wishful thinking when tourist mobs queue up outside doors each morning. These crucial tips will help you convert casual shoppers into loyal, high-spending customers throughout the season by crafting memorable shopping trips designed for online sharing and in-person returns.