5 Tips to Boost Your Valentines Day Sales

Valentines Day and Lingerie are intimately intertwined in the minds of many consumers. What that means is a great opportunity for retailers – both in bricks-and-mortar stores and online – to boost your lingerie business. Here are 5 Key Tips to maximize the value for your customers to make your cash register sing this Valentines Day.

1. Keep it Simple

Ensuring the right inventory is the first important step. Shopping for a lingerie gift means understanding a woman’s size and style preferences. Make it easier for significant others by having more pieces that are easy to buy. “Men like to buy silky sexy pieces and easy sizing. For example, babydolls are ideal,” offers Catherine Coast, of online retailer Violet’s Knickers. It can also be helpful to have size neutral, pre-packaged boxed sets handy for grab-and-go shoppers.

2. Fulfill Wishes

Encourage customers to create wish lists, so that preferences and sizes are known in advance. Says Erica Windle of A Sophisticated Pair, “We like to encourage customers both in-store and through our email newsletter to update their file, and we often send links to newly released fashion sets as well as bra-sized lingerie.  Then, the women can send their significant others to the shop to pick something they find attractive from the list.” Wish lists make purchasing easy for both your sales team and the folks who are doing the gifting – plus, it ensures that your customers get something they love. Wish lists are easy to use in both online and bricks-and-mortar stores.

3. Wrap it Up

Even if gift-wrapping isn’t something you normally offer, consider adding it to your customer service mix for Valentine’s Day. You want to make it as easy as possible for men to buy from you, and being a one-stop shopping experience does exactly that. Build your brand by making the wrapping experience as luxurious as the merchandise you offer. A Sophisticated Pair offers “personalized gift wrapping services, which many married men find to be a relief.” At Violet’s Knickers, they take gift-wrapping a step further, offering “a little extra gift” with the service, and making it an upsell.

4. Party On

Consider partnering with a local business to make options even more diverse and provide a day/date specific reason to show up. At A Sophisticated Pair, “we are also hosting a “Bras and Bling” party the week before Valentine’s Day for our customers.  We’ll have a jewelry representative visiting the store and showcasing some gorgeous Valentine’s Day jewelry that works with some of the bras and lingerie sets we’ll have handy.” What local businesses can you partner with? Be creative! Find a boutique soap maker, a chocolatier, or artisan craftsperson.

5. Less is More

Whether your customer is buying something to entice her Valentine or shopping for a gift, focus on the best quality they can afford. It’s always better to get something special for a holiday. “Let’s put it this way, a woman can spot budget nightwear from a mile away…so no penny pinching!” says Coast. From a business perspective, it’s always a good idea to sell customers into a smaller item from a more luxurious brand – chances are, they’ll appreciate the difference quality makes once they’ve experienced it for themselves, and then they’ll come back for more.