It’s winter outside and the cold air has a way of nibbling at fingers, toes and other body extremities. Yet your clients will still brave the chilly weather and hotfoot it to your outlet to get whatever part they need to finish their work in time for Christmas.
So be prepared. Keeping a range of Dickies winter wear such as hats, gloves and socks could nudge your client into buying products they need – or impulsively buy as a gift – but didn’t know you had, from you, rather than from somewhere else.
After all you want to get most out of the foot traffic that comes through your retail store don’t you?
Always keep it honest and relevant and you can do that by being observant. Let’s say the customer is not wearing a hat; they will probably have lost between 20 to 40 per cent of their body heat by the time you see them.
Are they wearing gloves? If not, their hands may be feeling a tad numb. Make a note of that.
In the meantime, be friendly and once they have identified the part they came in for, the rapport you have built with your customers before they ever get to the merchandise makes all the difference. Right there is an opportunity for cross selling.
But stay poised, the art of the cross sell is in the timing. Wait until they are ready to buy their chosen part and then alert them to the warm winter garb you have on offer. Perhaps add a little tinsel to the display to suggest these make perfect gifts. You may get an impulse buy.
Dickies have a range of products endowed with thinsulate – a fabric designed to keep the warmth in and the chill out.
So get ahead by offering the knitted Dickies acrylic Watch Cap and perhaps nudge a little further with the polyester fleece Winter neck gaiter which, after all, is so much easier to wear than a scarf.
Cold hands can be debilitating, that’s why Dickies have a range of three winter gloves: thermal, fleece and half-finger gloves with a removable pouch. All three are insulated – the latter with Thinsulate – and very cosy.
And the last of the extremities, but not the least, are the feet. Dickies soft-to-touch thermal socks are made from special twisted yarn of acrylic with cotton to ensure warm feet and even come in a value-for-money two-pair pack. They are available in black and grey.
Also consider the Severn Safety boot. These are slip resistant and come with a padded collar and tongue, water repellent leather, steel toe cap, midsole for underfoot protection and shock absorbent sole. They also come fur lined for extra warmth.
Don’t feel awkward about suggesting an upsell to a customer who needs the product you offer, either for themselves or to give as a gift.
Think of it as helping the customer beat the winter blues by getting more value from your business, and help your business get more loyalty and revenue from the customer. What better way to spread the seasonal cheer.