Custom interior and exterior retail signage<\/a> can help your store drive traffic, promote merchandise and maximize sales during the holidays. How? Check out these retail signage tips and best practices to find out.<\/p>\n Beginning in November and extending through the new year, the holiday quarter is crunch time for retailers across the country.<\/p>\n Last year, that time frame\u00a0drew 165 million shoppers<\/a>\u00a0between the three-days Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday alone. While not technically a business quarter, no retailer can afford to excuse the pivotal holiday months as well as the post-Thanksgiving long weekend that launches this massive shopping season.<\/p>\n Why are the holidays so vital for today\u2019s businesses \u2014 and how do custom retail graphics set you up for holiday quarter success?<\/p>\n On average, Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the ongoing sales season between Thanksgiving and the New Year represent\u00a0between 19-40% of retailers\u2019 total annual sales<\/a>.<\/p>\n Certain segments experience a larger boost than others. For example, gaming and electronics brands can see sales jump as high as 41% during the Q4 holiday period, accounting for over 60% of its total net profits. Major clothing retailers and department stores also post significant holiday sales figures, with some brands seeing over a third of sales occurring during this holiday blitz.<\/p>\n While the rise of evergreen online shopping has lessened the seasonally sensitive Q4 in recent years, retailers cannot afford \u2014 literally \u2014 to sit back and watch competitors out-market and out-brand them.<\/p>\n Well over half of all holiday shoppers (65%) look to\u00a0maximize the special deals and sales of the season<\/a>, often making gift selections based in part on promotions. In fact, holiday sales are the top consideration for today\u2019s consumer, with shoppers scouting multiple brands online before finalizing in-store or digital purchases.<\/p>\n To meet this demand, many retailers choose to start holiday sales earlier and earlier \u2014 often well before the Thanksgiving and Black Friday long weekend. Last year,\u00a0the average shopper spent $313.29 on gifts<\/a>\u00a0over that five-day holiday weekend, yet admitted to bargain hunting weeks in advance.<\/p>\n Consumer surveys reveal\u00a0peoples\u2019 least favorite part about the holiday season<\/a>\u00a0is \u2014 you guessed it \u2014 hyper-commercialization. While they wait year-round for special deals and promotions during this timeframe, they\u2019re leery of today\u2019s mounting holiday expenses as well as the impersonal, materialistic climate that can pervade this time of year.<\/p>\n Retailers must be cautious of contributing to the commercialization frenzy. Creative, meaningful and memorable holiday signage offers a way to advertise without being \u201csalesy.\u201d At its best, custom retail signage can even enlighten and entertain, offering respite from the commercial overload while still marketing your products or services strategically.<\/p>\n Consumers today desire personalization and convenience in their shopping experiences. For retailers, branded holiday materials lend a vital opportunity to market your business\u2019 personal touches and convenient service add-ons, which help you stand out from the competition. Use retail signs and graphics to boast in-store perks, such as gift wrapping and free holiday treats. Holiday signs are also a great place to advertise unique, customer-centric promotions. For example, if you have a customer loyalty program, consider doubling the points earned for every purchase in November or December, advertising this bonus across all store signage. Try finding\u00a0those<\/em>\u00a0perks on Amazon.<\/p>\n Over\u00a0half of shoppers today say they prefer<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0make the bulk of their holiday purchases in-store. This preference holds true across all generations, including the tech-savvy millennials and Gen Z.<\/p>\n Holiday graphics are part of a larger branding strategy that keeps your in-store environment fun, festive and aesthetically engaging for these shoppers. In fact, store presentation goes a long way for new and returning customers alike. People form impressions of your business\u2019 professionalism as well as the quality of its products and services based on the look and feel of your store. Those impressions influence brand recall and conversions down the road, keeping you top-of-mind even after the holidays end.<\/p>\n Successful holiday retail signs share several key characteristics.<\/p>\n There are plenty of retail signs and graphics perfect for the holidays. Explore the range of options below to determine which will help land you on your customers\u2019 nice lists.<\/p>\n Point of purchase or point of sale displays are specialty arrangements promoting a particular product or service. These displays usually contain some sort of promotional sign centering on the product itself, as well as information about the product\u2019s features, benefits and other relevant details, using catchy, upbeat language.<\/p>\n At their most successful, POP displays become mini 3D installations in and of themselves. Arrangements can include shelving, hands-on tutorials and even digital touchscreens for customers to view product media on or interact with. Holiday point of sales displays are especially powerful when set up at your registers, as well as placed strategically near products throughout your storefront.<\/p>\n Custom indoor and outdoor retails signs<\/a>\u00a0are a staple of holiday marketing. Signs serve as a visual focal point for traffic passing your storefront, advertising the latest seasonal sales, new merchandise and experiential add-ons for shoppers inside.<\/p>\n Holiday signs are also one of the most customizable pieces of marketing available today. You can choose from various sign materials, including base media types, substrates and sign laminates. You can then customize your sign\u2019s colors, text, logos, images and background to create a succinct yet on-brand message about everything from flash holiday discounts to special events to bonus loyalty points earned on all purchases made over the holidays.<\/p>\n Retail banners and flags are a visually distinct, highly festive way to advertise during the holidays. Made from lightweight banner fabrics and material blends, banners and flags flutter in the wind, capturing attention with their motion. These materials are best used to attract foot traffic and to stand out on busy streets, particularly in high-density settings or for off-street storefronts shoppers may have difficulty spotting while driving or walking.<\/p>\n Flags and banners printed by professional large-format studios, such as SpeedPro, assure materials are highly durable. Your graphics will stand up to the season\u2019s harsh weather conditions, their colors and text remaining vibrant even amidst rain, wind and snow.<\/p>\n Illuminated signs offer a creative twist on traditional storefront signage. They\u2019re especially appealing when paired with ornamental Christmas lights, wreaths and other festive holiday decorations, turning your storefront into a glistening display and organically drawing in customers.<\/p>\n Illuminated signs also provide enhanced functionality. Backlit text and graphics ensure sign visibility at night and during inclement weather, which may hide or obscure unlit signs. Similarly, indoor\u00a0backlit graphics<\/a>\u00a0pieces \u2014 such as counters, towers and custom push-fit fabric display cases \u2014 brighten the interior of your store using an all-in-one, easily interchangeable LED light and fabric-overlay framing system.<\/p>\n Window decals bring pops of holiday spirit to your storefront\u2019s glass. Available for installation on window interiors and exteriors, these materials are an affordable, highly customizable retail signage choice that can be easily interchanged to match the exact upcoming holiday. Use retail window graphics to announce special holiday store hours, flash sales, new product releases, sales specials and much more.<\/p>\n Window decals work in other applications, as well. Add decals to your business\u2019 cars, vans or delivery trucks for marketing while on the road. These same decals \u201cpeel and place\u201d easily, giving all your windows a branded touch.<\/p>\n Step-and-repeat banners are special backdrops set up to provide a cohesive background for photo taking. You may know them from the red carpet, but more and more businesses are utilizing this graphic type for creative in-store marketing moments.<\/p>\n Consider adding a holiday-themed step-and-repeat banner into your store. Customers will have fun snapping group pictures and selfies in front of the festive backdrop, remembering the unique in-store photo-taking experience and tying it to your brand.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more,\u00a0step-and-repeat banners<\/a>\u00a0provide a unique content marketing opportunity. Add a branded hashtag to your step-and-repeat banner design. Then, suggest guests tag their photos with your hashtag for a chance to win a prize drawing or be featured in your own social media posts. Strategies like this are known as user-generated content \u2014 one of the hottest digital marketing trends of the moment.<\/p>\n With digital signage, traditional retail signs meet modern technology. Using screens as the display,\u00a0digital signs<\/a>\u00a0can support a carousel of custom images and messages played on a loop or broadcast as a single, high-quality graphic to inform, educate and engage.<\/p>\n Businesses can integrate custom holiday digital messages onto their screens as a creative way to update retail signage. Digital signs can be stationed near select merchandise, acting as an eye-catching point-of-sale display. They can be hung above registers reminding guests of upcoming deals or in-store promotions. They can also sit in storefront windows and entryways, relaying seasonal specials and capturing attention in a way static signage can\u2019t.<\/p>\n Corporate printing creates cohesive marketing materials for the upcoming holiday season. Rather than print off ad-hoc signs, decals, POP displays, product pamphlets, catalogs and more, a corporate printing package delivers multiple signage-based materials under a unique design.<\/p>\n Corporate printing is an ideal choice for retailers over the holidays. With these signage packages, you\u2019re assured every material displays the same promotions, dates, prices and more. Color schemes, text font, logo replication and more design details will also match, again imbuing your store\u2019s brand with quality and professionalism.<\/p>\n Setting up shop at a local market? Participating in winter conferences or trade shows? What about seasonal winter wonderlands or community holiday celebrations in your city? When any of these events are on the calendar, you need a branded event tent to serve as your sales home base during the festivities.<\/p>\n Holiday event tents<\/a>\u00a0contain\u00a0custom tent canopies, sidewalls and structural frames tailored to your business\u2019 brand. Event tent packages can also include a complete branded setup, including table toppers and fabric throws, flags, banners, point of sale displays and experiential designs like step-and-repeat banners.<\/p>\n In-store floor graphics<\/a>\u00a0offer a creative way to market select products or services. It also places promotions in a surprising yet practical field of sight \u2014 i.e., right where customers walk.<\/p>\n Use custom holiday floor graphics to embellish your store with visuals themed around the holiday season. Floor graphics can serve as wayfinding or directional signs, complement point of purchase displays, organize busy check-out lines, promote complimentary in-store gift wrapping, advertise a stop from Santa and so much more. For festive floor graphics that help boost brand awareness, blend seasonal images and themes with your current brand aesthetics.<\/p>\n Holiday signage is innately customizable to your brand aesthetics and current business goals. Make the most of your retail signage by following these graphics best practices.<\/p>\n Reader-friendly signs use short, concise sentences to get their points across. Language is direct and pithy, relaying sensible amounts of information or, better yet, sticking with one and only one takeaway. The more you pack into a retail graphic, the less likely customers are to understand, engage and convert.<\/p>\n Put yourself in your customers\u2019 shoes when wondering if a sign\u2019s message is too long or detailed. When driving, that person will have only a few seconds to read your sign. Customers passing by on foot have more time but will likely not stop to read anything beyond one sentence.<\/p>\n Lights are a staple holiday decoration that create a charming, approachable and warm atmosphere in both interior and exterior retail spaces. Plus, they help assure your messages can be seen regardless of weather conditions and can even be worked into your store\u2019s larger holiday decorative set up.<\/p>\n Retailers can deploy lights in individual graphic installations as well as individual signs and entire sign systems. Spotlighting is another great option and can help draw eyes to specific signs or materials for greater advertising muscle.<\/p>\n Signs using second-person language make a viewer feel that the graphics are speaking directly to them. As a result, they begin connecting its message to their own life.<\/p>\n This is a powerful sales and engagement motivator. It\u2019s also at the heart of driving foot traffic and converting leads across segments in the retail industry. Plus, signs written in the second person immediately transform from broad and passive language to personalized and active. Your business creates marketing signage with a distinct target consumer in mind, sharpening your overall marketing and signage strategy.<\/p>\nTHE IMPORTANCE OF RETAIL GRAPHICS AND THE HOLIDAYS<\/h2>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.speedpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2-The-Importance-of-Retail-Graphics-and-the-Holidays.jpg\")
<\/p>\n1. HOLIDAYS DRIVE NEARLY A QUARTER OF RETAILERS\u2019 SALES<\/h3>\n
![\"Holidays](\"https:\/\/www.speedpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/3-Holidays-Drive-Nearly-a-Quarter-of-Retailers-Sales.jpg\")
<\/p>\n2. SHOPPERS ARE SALES HUNGRY\u2026<\/h3>\n
![\"Well](\"https:\/\/www.speedpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/4-Shoppers-Are-Sales-Hungry.jpg\")
<\/p>\n3. \u2026YET COMMERCIALIZATION WEARY<\/h3>\n
4. COMPETITION IS FIERCE<\/h3>\n
![\"Competition](\"https:\/\/www.speedpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/5-Competition-Is-Fierce.jpg\")
<\/p>\n5. AMPLIFY THE IN-STORE EXPERIENCE<\/h3>\n
![\"Amplify](\"https:\/\/www.speedpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/6-Amplify-the-In-Store-Experience.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL HOLIDAY RETAIL SIGN?<\/h2>\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/www.speedpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/7-What-Makes-a-Successful-Holiday-Retail-Sign.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n
RETAIL SIGNAGE AND GRAPHICS IDEAS<\/h2>\n
![\"Retail](\"https:\/\/www.speedpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/8-Retail-Signage-and-Graphics-Ideas.jpg\")
<\/p>\n1. POINT OF PURCHASE (POP) DISPLAYS<\/h3>\n
2. INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SIGNAGE<\/h3>\n
3. FLAGS AND BANNERS<\/h3>\n
4. ILLUMINATED SIGNS<\/h3>\n
5. WINDOW DECALS<\/h3>\n
6. STEP-AND-REPEAT BANNERS<\/h3>\n
7. DIGITAL SIGNAGE<\/h3>\n
8. CORPORATE PRINTING<\/h3>\n
9. HOLIDAY EVENT TENTS<\/h3>\n
10. FLOOR GRAPHICS<\/h3>\n
CREATIVE WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY SIGNS STAND OUT<\/h2>\n
1. BE SUCCINCT<\/h3>\n
2.\u00a0ADD LIGHTS<\/h3>\n
3. USE THE WORD \u201cYOU\u201d<\/h3>\n
4. MAKE THEM LAUGH<\/h3>\n
![\"Make](\"https:\/\/www.speedpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/9-Make-Them-Laugh.jpg\")
<\/p>\n