As Thanksgiving decorations are being replaced by their more wintry Christmas counterparts, all retailers might be wondering how to optimize their store for the gift-giving season. While the internet is filled with resources about optimizing sales growth, we’re focusing on one key component to holiday-time retailing: sales events.

There’s hardly a bad time to host an event that your customers love and will engage them in your brand. But with the holidays coming up, we’ve gathered a few tips on how to create with the best menorah-lighting, sleigh-bells ringing event for your store.

1. Influencers, Influencers, Influencers

If you’re hosting a sale, take advantage of influencers in your network or industry. Online, 53% of people make a purchase shared by those they like, admire, or trust, and will certainly do so if your store is close by and they sniff a sale or an opportunity to meet a cool influencer.

The next question is how to maximize the rare opportunity of having top customers and influencer together in the store. First step is, of course, documenting and sharing the occasion. By taking pictures with your branded frame or geotag, customers and influencers alike can directly share and promote your brand on all social of their favorite (and well followed!) social channels.

2. Brand Knicknacks to the Umph Degree

If you’re serving hors d’ourves, drinks, or any other snackable knicknacks, get your brand out there. Cocktail napkins, toothpicks, plates, everything should have a logo, should include your brand fused artfully with the holiday themes.

More importantly than stuff, though, is what they remember while they were there. By using tech to complement those knicknacks, the whole process of shopping becomes more experiential. Offering products on an interactive shelving system that tells the story behind the brand, or by offering exclusive content customers can’t normally access online, such as videos, slideshows, or music, can be an exciting way to infuse an experience to the product side of your event.

3. Provide Insta-worthy opportunities

If it wasn’t instagrammed, did it really happen?

Make sure to provide ample photo opportunities. There’s Snapchat filters, but if you’re catering to a slightly older clientele (above 20s, under 35), Snapchat might be limiting. The best way to know folks are photographing in a unique way is by renting a photobooth that can capture your visitors in a branded frame.

4. Decorate warmly

It’s cold outside. Take advantage of foot traffic on the night of your event and make your store look cozier than ever. Slightly dim the lights, wear sweaters, display an old-time classic (without sound) on a video wall. Whatever you do, make sure to have a sign near the door to prevent passersby from thinking it’s a private event!

And of course, if you’re interested in other ways to make your event or store modern, experiential, and interactive this holiday season (or all year round), shoot us a note. As specialists in modernizing events and brand spaces through retail technology, we’ve love to hear more about your ideas for your store this year.