Spending on Necessities
Stores including Walmart and Target have said shoppers are spending more on food and other necessities than on discretionary items, including furniture and toys. How do you make your business stand out during the holidays and do you offer special deals?
Tiffany Hamilton | Holistic Practitioner
I agree with Walmart and Target consumers are buying more food, and healthy food at that. The pandemic made a lot of people rethink their health walk and buckle down and adopt healthier diets. I saw this trend in my sales. During the holidays I give away free salads on Thanksgiving Eve and Christmas Eve. This year I decided to feed 5 families that were in need. It’s important to give back, I think outside of the box, yes it’s free, but it’s also a marketing tactic to create brand notoriety.
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Bradley Randle | Barber & Business Owner
With sales on discretionary items being lower, we make our business stand out by offering special deals. We often use eye catching flyers to promote/boost on social media. Our items are 100% personalizable, which gives consumers full creative control. With them being more involved in the design process, our products become more appealing to them.
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Candy McBride | Owner and Executive Director of #GYMKITTY
The primary strategy that we are executing to seperate ourselves from other health and wellness companies is by identifying the basic necessity of a multivitamin. Multivitamins are a necessity to maintian health. They have proven to improve mood which correlates to decrease in depression. The also increase energy levels, reduce stress & anxiety, and maintain muscle strength. Not only are those necessities they are elements that improve overall quality of life.
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PCrain Designs | CPR Instructor/Custom Apparel & More
Yes unfortunately, we are all experiencing a loss in financial gain due to the pandemic last year times are even harder now. Food prices and other necessities has risen tremendously some of us have to choose in between purchasing what I need vs. what I want. With our business we have hosted giveaways and given away free apparel and items away to our customers. We also offer deals such as 20% and up off on selected items. We believe that blessing others helps us stand out as a business, because we have been on the other end and understand it's a struggle to make ends meet these days.
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Tiffany Walker | Homemade Icecream Maker
My business in general stands out from others because I create familiar flavors, but also flavors that people have never heard of. (For example, cranberry sorbet) Unfortunately because I am just starting out, I am not offering any deals at this time, but I do plan on having sales in the near future. I have however created holiday flavors that include; Christmas Cookie, The Grinch, Snickerdoodle, Coquito.
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Jasmine Dixon | Gourmet Treat Maker
For this holiday season I offered "Grinchmas" candy apples! It was something that I had been wanting to do for the longest. Last year, there were so many Christmas gatherings and they had all of these beautiful themes. "Friendsmas" was my favorite. So, I decided to add to it! Everyone loves The Grinch, and the colors are just too perfect! It was so fun to bring these apples to life! This was actually my first time doing any treats related to Christmas. I loved it! The turn out and support was beyond amazing!
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Neslene Sahagun | Licensed Esthetician
I try my best to make my business stand out by offering the gift of self-care. Everybody deserves a break and you can never go wrong with some pampering! For the holiday season, Neskin is currently offering 10% off on $100 gift certificates.
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Lynette Guy | Owner at Freedom Finder Vacation Rentals (Freedom Finder Cabin & Memory Maker Cabin)
I decorate both cabins for Christmas, going all out, so that guests are able to have a great Christmas experience even when they are away from home. For the guests traveling with children over the holidays, I made sure to include a plate and cup that they could leave cookies and milk for Santa. There was also a snowman with a cutout face so the kids could pose for a picture and add to their Christmas memories. Freedom Finder cabin had a hot cocoa station with cocoa, marshmallows, candy canes, and biscotti. This was nestled in the window seat for a cozy nook to enjoy their treat. The hot cocoa station will stay in place throughout the winter. Memory Maker cabin was decorated non-traditionally. Instead of an evergreen Christmas tree, there was a grouping of "twig" trees covered in fairy lights and dotted with cardinals. This theme started outside and continued into the den, as well as a small tree in the loft. It was a magical effect and certainly gave guests a memorable Christmas. I have several different specials that I offer. -7 night stays get 10% off. -Military receive a 10% discount -Repeat guests receive a loyalty discount -Guests always save when they book direct instead of going through Airbnb or VRBO. -I have a 15% discount for January and February at on 3 nights or more at Memory Maker cabin. I strive to stand apart from the crowd in every season, not only by offering amenities that can't be found at other places, but also by offering personal touches, thoughtful details, and exceptional hospitality.
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Alphonso Whitfield | Film Producer & Photographer
The holidays are a perfect time to reach out to your clients and audiences and remind them that you're not only good for their year-round needs but to also put new irons in the fire. I like to use the holidays to market decreased prices on portraiture and video services for the next year if they purchase a session for a scheduled date in the coming months. For example, I'm currently running a deal for people to show up to a studio I'm renting out for them to get unlimited edited photos for a quick 30-minute session. There's a 4-hour window I'll be shooting, they can take as much time of the 30 minutes as they want, and they get a discounted rate from what I'll charge any other day, This outreach has helped me create clients for other services outside of photography as I spend time getting to know my clients on a personal level. Whether it's a referral to someone else or them digging into my abstract photography and painting, they become a part of a small community of clients I like to stay in contact with.
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Carmelita Middleton | YouTuber & Business Owner
Sparkle my yard helps families make special memories even more special. Whether it’s birthday parties,anniversaries, a new baby, we create each and every sign unique to that individual because we know our signs will be apart of your memories forever! During the holidays we offer specialty signs like “boo signs” which is a game of tag you play with your neighbors during the month of October. During December we have “you’ve been elfed” which is also a game of tag. We love to get the community involved and spread a little holiday cheer!
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