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By Tony DeMasi, editor
f summer is your busy season, good for you! If it isn’t, do something about it. For the most part, too many traditional gift shop retailers lament about the warm weather days being cold to business. If you’re part of that choir, start singing a different song by heightening your marketing efforts. Customers appreciate creative in-store events, and cutting-edge merchandise. They’ll reward those efforts with cash. Here’s a season’s worth of ideas that should get your mind, and cash register, reeling:
JUNE
June is:
- Diary Month
- Gay and Lesbian Pride Month
- International Men’s Month
- National Candy Month
- National Iced Tea Month
- National Rose Month
- Perennial Gardening Month
1. Marilyn Monroe’s birthday, promote appropriate merchandise.
2. Celebrate the national titles to this month; each is a great marketing opportunity.
3. Hug Your Cat Day, promote appropriate merchandise.
4. Lots of boating going on, display nautical-themed merchandise.
5. Work on “Christmas in July” marketing plans.
6. Replenish wedding, anniversary, Father’s Day and graduation gifts sections.
7. Celebrate National Dairy Month; promote everything with a cow theme.
8. Lots of photos being taken this time of year, promote photo frames and albums.
9. Donald Duck’s birthday, promote appropriate merchandise. Cole Porter’s birthday, promote appropriate merchandise.
10. Judy Garland’s birthday, promote appropriate merchandise.
11. Display merchandise relating to summer sports, especially tennis.
12. National Flag Week runs to the 18th, promote appropriate merchandise.
13. National Little League Baseball Week runs to the 19th, promote appropriate merchandise.
14. Flag Day, promote appropriate merchandise. Family History Day, promote appropriate merchandise.
15. Pay May withholding taxes, hold a staff meeting.
16. Move Father’s Day display to point of purchase. U.S. Open Golf Championship today, promote appropriate merchandise.
17. Work on Independence Day Sale marketing plan.
18. It’s now or never to sell Father’s Day gifts.
19. FATHER’S DAY.
20. Replace Father’s Day display with Independence Day-related product.
21. Cancer, The Crab, is the astrological sign to July 22, promote appropriate merchandise. Summer runs to September 22, promote appropriate merchan-dise.
22. Full moon tonight, hold a “Moonlight Madness Sale.”
23. Close down graduation gifts section.
24. Work on “Christmas in July” marketing plans.
25. Replenish weddings and anniversaries gifts displays, July and August are heavy wedding months.
26. Celebrate Rose Month, promote appropriate merchandise.
27. Happy Birthday To You Day, commemorates the song, hold a “birthday party” for your store.
28. Many gay/lesbian-related events held today, promote appropriate merchandise.
29. Peter and Paul Day, give a discount or prize to anyone with either as a first or last name.
30. Start Independence Day Sale, run it to July 4.
JULY
July is:
- National Baked Bean Month
- National Blueberries Month
- National Hot Dog Month
1. Ice Cream Days run today to the 4th, promote appropriate merchandise.
2. The year is half over, hold a special “Half Off Sale.”
3. Move flag-themed merchandise to point of purchase area.
4. INDEPENDENCE DAY. Freedom Week runs to the 10th, promote American-made products.
5. Hold a “state fair,” promote merchandise made in your state.
6. Put finishing touches on Christmas In July plans, run it the last two weeks of the month.
7. Replenish sports-themed merchandise displays.
8. Celebrate this month’s National themes.
9. Start major ad campaign for your Christmas in July event.
10. Bee Day, promote products made of honey, beeswax and things resembling bees.
11. If your town has a summer theatre program, salute its efforts by putting signs in your windows and buying a block of tickets to give to customers. 12. Josiah Wedgwood’s 275th birthday, promote appropriate merchandise.
13. Geek Day. Have fun with this, invite the local media in your store to vote on a geek dress up contest, also hold a trivia contest about geeks who made good - such as Bill Gates.
14. Bastille Day, hold a French-themed event.
15. Kick off “Christmas in July.” Let it run until the end of the month. Pay June withholding taxes, holdstaff meeting. National Rabbit Week, promote appropriate merchandise.
16. Cow Appreciation Day, promote appropriate merchandise.
17. National Ice Cream Day, promote appropriate merchandise.
18. Set up back to school merchandise section.
19. Replenish weddings and anniversaries gifts sections.
20. Special Olympics Day, hold a fundraiser for this cause.
21. Full moon tonight, hold a “Moonlight Madness Sale.”
22. Replenish “Christmas in July” section, have carolers in red and green beachwear entertain your customers.
23. Leo, the Lion, is the astrological sign until August 22, promote appropriate merchandise.
24. Cousins Day, promote appropriate merchandise. Parents Day, promote appropriate merchandise.
25. National Salad Week runs to the 31st, promote appropriate merchandise.
26. Replenish photo frames and albums sections, a lot of vacations are going on.
27. National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, honor all vets.
28. Hold a “Summertime Blues” event, promote anything blue.
29. Start your “Christmas in July” three-day countdown. Be ready to replace it with back to school merchandise.
30. Elvis Week is coming up, work on marketing plans.
31. Hold a big finale to your “Christmas in July” event.
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