Once the school holidays begin and people begin to celebrate summer, retailers need to up their game to ensure they stay ahead of the competition.
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Failing to take advantage of the nation’s change in mood and the increased trade of the holiday season can result in frustrated customers and missed opportunities. The good news is it’s not hard to turn the busy season into a success story for your retail store with careful planning.
Why is planning for summer important?
There are specific summer retail trends that you should consider. Hot weather changes customer behaviour, so plan ahead to meet the likely demands, depending on the type of store you own. For example, consumers will buy more outdoor gear such as camping equipment and accessories, lightweight clothing and footwear and summer foods including ice cream, cold drinks, snacks and salads.
People enjoy barbecues in summer, so there’s likely to be a boom in equipment, cooking utensils and the associated foods.
Days out on the beach, a seaside holiday in the UK, or jetting off on holiday abroad all bring specific needs for customers. Think beachwear and travel essentials such as holdalls, mini–size toiletries to pack in a suitcase and suntan products.
According to a poll of 400 adults for the Optimove Consumer Summer Shopping Survey, 75% of respondents planned to buy new clothes for summer, while 58% were going to buy swimwear. In addition, 50% planned on buying cosmetics and other beauty products and 50% intended to purchase home goods, such as garden furniture and BBQ equipment.
Organise proactive management of your summer inventory to meet anticipated demand and avoid running out of important products that will mean customers shopping elsewhere.
A study by Retail Insight in 2023 revealed 60% of UK shoppers had been unable to purchase their favourite brands in-store over the past 12 months because they were out of stock. While customers try their best to support their local retailers and brands, 27% of respondents said they would start to question their loyalty if this was a regular occurrence.
The research concluded that when items were unavailable, this could lead to a significant loss of custom, equating to 8% of a retailer’s total revenue. This is something no business can afford to lose in today’s challenging trading climate.
What are the best retail storage solutions?
Pallet boxes could be the answer to your prayers, as they save space and money, enabling you to expand or decrease your storage capacity rapidly, without having to invest in expensive shelving. Many retailers choose plastic pallet boxes for an economic, durable and safe storage solution.
Ideal for both distribution and storage in supermarkets and other retail environments, they are a great choice, especially since they are versatile enough to cope with changing seasonal demands. They can be installed quickly to house extra stock to cope with summer demands. Stack them to create vertical space without taking up too much floor space. Then, they can be stored empty to take up less space until they’re needed again, on Black Friday or at Christmas, for example.
Purpose-designed for the application, a plastic pallet box is ten times more durable than a wooden pallet, offering far greater strength consistency and therefore maximum return on investment. Easy to wash and keep clean, pallet boxes have no damp, mould or dust contamination issues and are recyclable and environmentally friendly. There are no hidden pockets where dust or dirt can accumulate, keeping the surface and contents free from contaminants.
They don’t have nails or splinters, so they’re safe for manual handling. A customisable solution, you can place them exactly where required at any given time.
Solent Plastics’ storage solutions
We have a selection of top-quality bulk storage containers, in various shapes and sizes, to suit your needs. Built to last a lifetime, they are a cost-effective way of keeping your retail inventory ready to meet changing demands.
Both environmentally friendly and economical, our 615-litre black recycled pallet box is made from 100% recycled HDPE material. Built for vigorous long-term use, it offers a 510kg load capacity and provides easy pallet truck entry. It can be stacked safely up to eight pallets high.
If you’re seeking smaller storage solutions, our 210-litre mini-pallet box is ideal for commercial environments where space is tight. Manufactured from industrial quality HDPE, it has an 80kg load capacity, yet has a footprint of just 800mm x 600mm, with all the strength you would expect from a plastic pallet box.
Capable of holding up to 210-litres and with an 80kg load capacity, this reusable plastic storage solution can be used in storerooms with narrow aisles, packing areas, goods-in areas and on delivery vehicles.
When you need a larger, premium-quality, bulk storage solution, our 900-litre extra deep pallet box is ideal for all your retail requirements. Durable and extra-deep, this 1m high storage container is suitable for forklift or pallet truck entry. Extremely robust, it is designed for rigorous long-term use. Solid sides and base, combined with smooth outer and inner walls, make it easy to keep clean.
Don’t let inadequate storage solutions hamper your efforts to capitalise on the summer rush. The warm weather in June has already spurred UK shoppers to spend more, with a report by Barclays citing a 5.7% increase in spending between May and June.
Two-thirds of consumers say they spend more during summer because they “want to make the most of it”, so it’s up to you to make the best of the opportunity.