With less than 30 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, it’s crunch time for Baton Rouge retailers, who say that shoppers are not waiting until after Thanksgiving to start holiday shopping.
The U.S. Commerce Department reported this week that online and catalog shopping rose nearly 1% in October and more than 14% from the year before. As online sales continue to rise, brick and mortar stores say their “touch, feel and see” experiences offer more than expansive online catalogs.
To combat major online retailers and the short shopping season, locally-owned shops like The Royal Standard and Red Onion put out holiday merchandise earlier and extended their promotional sales.
Christmas displays at The Royal Standard went up in mid-October. Because of the shortened season, Red Onion owner Brenda Goff said customers have overlooked the tradition of waiting until after Thanksgiving to put up a tree or other decorations.
“We just got it out earlier because we could tell people weren’t going to have as much time,” Goff says. Their Christmas displays have been in high demand.
Yet the big challenge is still finding a way to compete with the big online brands that can ship quickly, as a last-minute option, says Jessica Toben, The Royal Standard e-commerce and marketing manager.
“There will always be people that like to shop last minute online. But in general, people still want to see and touch and feel,” Toben says.
The Royal Standard is using those aspects to their advantage, offering “one-stop-shop” items like decorations, gifts and holiday party foods to entice customers.
“It’s an experience coming in these stores,” Toben says, one that allows for a more thoughtful gift shopping experience.
Product knowledge also plays a role in brick and mortar’s success, as well as local loyalty involved, not just in holiday shopping but also in supporting local businesses year-round.
“Some people that I’m finding feel like they’re betraying you if they don’t support you because they don’t want you to go away,” Goff says.
