Four of the year’s biggest shopping events – Cyber Week, Halloween, Christmas lead-in and Boxing Day – are packed into its final quarter. The season offers both profitable opportunities and challenges to time-crunched merchants.

Preparation can smooth out problems and open up the sales channel. Strengthen your performance during the year’s peak shopping season with help from this handy checklist.

British retailer John Lewis’s annual “Merry Christmas” campaign focused on the excitement of gifting and time with loved ones. A traditional holiday card opened to reveal carefully selected gift ideas. It reinforced the theme with an invitation to enjoy a free pie and hot drink in John Lewis. Once the card’s recipient spent a 100 pounds, they received a bottle of sparkling wine – ideal for festive gatherings.

Nordstrom’s send customers a direct mail piece inviting them to a private shopping night in early December. The red-carpet gala feel of the evening puts attendees in the shopping mood, despite the fact that items are full-price.

Perhaps due to the novelty of the physical in such digital lives, Millennials prefer direct mail over other marketing channels – and more than half of them feel that businesses in their neighbourhood need to better at keeping them informed. Target these avid shoppers where they live!

Beauty marketer Sephora’s gift guide for Black Friday highlighted 10 products for $10 that were available instore and online for just one day. With gift guides outperforming purely promotional mailings, it’s a tactic that lends itself well to budget-friendly channels like Facebook ads, emails and over-sized post cards.

Get help planning your next holiday campaign. Contact us.