Though the rise of e-commerce has changed seasonal shopping trends, there are still some notable changes in how people shop throughout each season. Winter holidays bring about the season of giving when everyone is shopping for someone else, but in the summer, there is a trend toward more self-indulgent spending, which might include more impulse buys. By taking the time to understand how consumer behavior changes during the summer, you can design an effective marketing strategy that will play off these behaviors and get more feet in the door. Keep reading for a look at what you need to know.
1. Nice weather inspires shoppers to get out of their homes.
The sunny days of summer are good for businesses, because people are more likely to leave the house and get into the community when they aren’t likely to get rained on or caught in the snow. Retailers may see more business both from tourists seeking gifts as they explore the area as well as locals stocking up on essentials at the store rather than through online orders. Your online marketing strategy is still important, but it may revolve more around getting people to pay your business a visit than getting them to place an order through your website.
Shoppers are out and about—get their attention on mobile.
You will likely see an uptick in foot traffic during the summer season—especially if your business is in a popular neighborhood or tourist destination. Just because people are nearby, however, doesn’t necessarily mean that they will be inspired to come in. In addition to eye-catching signage and visual marketing materials, you should use mobile marketing to send deals and promotions to people in the immediate area. At the very least, you should make sure that your site is optimized for mobile so that people can find you via search if they’re in the area.
Run promotions to correlate with major shopping days.
Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day will all be particularly busy days as summer travelers get out of the house, so you will want to prepare with promotions that take advantage of this holiday traffic.
Think about graduation gifts and vacation essentials.
Along with summer holidays, you’ll want to think about other celebrations common in the summer. The beginning of summer is graduation season, so you might push gifts for grads or dinner promotions for graduation parties. People are also more likely to take summer vacations, so this might be another angle you can use in your marketing, depending on the services you offer.
2. Summer shoppers are likely to buy on impulse.
The vacation attitude of summer can have shoppers feeling more relaxed and more likely to make purchases without as much research or consideration. You might tap into the impulsivity of summer shoppers with well-placed social promotions that inspire people to come to your store. Email marketing can also be helpful during the summer, since you might run promotions for some last-minute vacation essentials or summer fashions that your customers won’t want to miss at a time when they may have some extra cash on hand.
3. People plan projects during the summer season.
Some people prefer not to travel in the summer, but instead explore creative enterprises with new art or DIY home improvement projects. The long days of summer might encourage more people to stretch their creative muscles and find new talents, so you can be there to provide all the supplies and project ideas they need. A summer blog series about fun ways to repurpose old items around the house or start a backyard garden might be just what your customers need to see the potential of the season and try out something different while they’re using your products and services.
4. Homeowners schedule home repairs and renovations.
If you aren’t in the retail, restaurant, or hospitality business, you might not think as much about how summer spending habits affect consumer behavior. However, people are not just more likely to spend on clothes, meals, and vacations. Summer might also be the time when homeowners schedule the repairs they need around the house after the winter season or begin planning renovations to plan for the upcoming holidays. The warmer and more predictable weather creates perfect conditions for roof repairs, landscaping projects, and window installations. Therefore, businesses in the home improvement industry should be thinking about their summer marketing just as much as retailers.
With Pennington Creative assisting in your marketing campaign, you can rest assured that you’re accounting for changes in customer behavior throughout every month and season. Our goal is to find the strategies and solutions that will work for your business based on your industry and target audience so that you can make the most of your marketing budget. To learn about the content solutions and social marketing bundles we offer, explore our website or schedule a discovery call where you can discuss your marketing goals with our team.
