Seasons Change, Your Store Should Too

Seasonality is not only an opportunity to capitalize on different variations of products, but a chance to remind your customers that you’re paying attention to what they need and want.  A changing season is a great time to shift your store strategy and keep traffic and sales booming throughout the year.  As the temperature begins to fall and the leaves begin to turn, your customers are beginning to change as well. Now’s the time to make sure that you’re taking full advantage of not only the current fall seasonal trends, but the trends to come.

Pumpkins Everywhere

Now that we’ve reached fall, consumers across the nation are on the lookout for pumpkin flavored everything.  From coffee to almonds, there are hundreds of pumpkin flavored options for stocking your convenience or small grocery store with items your customers will love.  Take advantage of these special products through the end of November and help give your profits a boost.  Some other seasonal flavor profiles to pay attention to in the fall and winter are white chocolate, peppermint, and cinnamon.

Hot Drinks for Cool Temperatures

In most places in the United States, people are already experiencing lower temperatures and as a result are enjoying hot beverages more often.  Leveraging a hot beverage station has almost become a must for the convenience industry as consumers seek coffee as a staple throughout the day. In these cooler Fall and Winter months, ensuring that you’re providing the varieties of hot beverage options your customers want is key to keeping them coming back time and time again.

‘Tis the Season

Holidays - from September through February - are the crucial profit season for retailers of all kinds.  Consumers all over the nation plan to increase spending during holiday months and you don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to make the most of these habits.  Heavy traveling, gift giving, last minute buys, and inclement weather are just a few of the natural occurrences that come with the holiday season.  These factors influence a spike in sales for most convenience and small grocery stores.  Make sure your store is stocked with the items that consumers are most likely to buy for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and more.

Emergencies Happen

As the weather continues to change from fall and into winter, keep potential consumer needs in mind.  Having supplies for managing the winter months is a great way to build your reputation with local customers and grow your business with increased income.  If you have the space, stocking your store with items like rock salt, shovels, firewood, and flash lights could really benefit your business even when the weather is harsh.  Don’t forget about the potential for mishaps with vehicles in the winter, either.

The Fall and Winter seasons also bring about the burden of illness.  Keep your store stocked with the supplies your customers might need to help them fight off those nasty colds and flus.  Items like tissues, soups, cough drops, and other remedies will help your consumers when they aren't exactly excited about a longer trek to the local drug store.  Capitalize on the convenience factor of your business by making sure your customers know they can stop in in their times of need all year long.

Have Some Fun

Most consumers associate seasons with pretty specific items, sounds, characters, appearances, and smells.  As the seasons change throughout the year, the mood in your store should change as well.  When customers come into your store, you have the opportunity to influence their purchases simply by ensuring the ambiance and products match what is the “norm” for that season.  Even when a customer doesn’t necessarily come to your store for the candy cane flavored chocolate bar, they might still buy it, when it's next to the register and readily available.

With four seasons, continuously changing weather, and plenty of holidays per year, keeping your c-store up to date with seasonality is critical to guaranteeing your business is profitable. By taking advantage of seasonal trends, you can add value to the customer's shopping experience, and add profit to your bottom line.