Preparing for the Holidays
Preparing your establishment for the busiest time of the year
No matter the industry, November and December are the busiest months of the year for consumer spending. Is your establishment ready to capitalize on the seasonal surge of shoppers and diners?
Here are a few steps you can take to prepare.
Check your equipment and fixtures
It should go without saying, but ensuring everything in your establishment is functional and in good working order is essential to prepare for high-volume holiday traffic. Check your equipment and fixtures and take note of any malfunctions, cracks, breaks, and anything else that might interrupt operations or impact your customer experience.
As it often happens, anything on the verge of breaking will likely do so at the most inopportune time. To avoid these inconveniences, make sure to always check:
Door hinges and hardware
Drawer slides
Fans and compressors
Pipes
Drains
The need for this might not be obvious if everything is in good condition, but keep in mind that repairs in restaurants can average between 1.5 to 6% of sales. Preventative maintenance is essential for holiday season preparation and to keep repair costs as low as possible.
Take inventory and order more supplies
With supply chain issues still disrupting many industries, ordering what you need ahead of time will allow you to continue providing a great customer experience and prevent stockouts during the busier months.
Prepare your decorations
If you are decorating your establishment for the holiday season, now is the time to plan. This means planning and ordering the following ahead of time:
Seasonal product displays
Lighting
Music
Window displays
When using adhesives and other hanging mechanisms for decorations, please take into consideration the impact it can have on the space, and be careful. Your goal is to decorate for the season, not to ruin your drywall or paint in the process.
Understand if your store is set up for the type of traffic you will get
If you are in retail or food service, BOPIS (buy online, pick-up in-store) is still very popular, with up to 33% of shoppers opting for this method. Curbside pickup and drive-through also have similar figures, with shoppers opting for convenience, especially during the busiest times of the year. Ensure your establishment is prepared to provide your consumers with this type of experience some popular QSRs that we have worked with have opted for separate online order pick-up spaces, ensuring that consumers can pick up their orders easily and quickly, even at peak hours.
Think it is too late to get ready for the holiday season ? Archmill’s Rapid Re-Image Program has you covered.
Next steps
Speak to one of Archmill’s experts to learn how we can help you prepare for the holiday season with preventative maintenance and our Rapid Re-Image Program.
