Holiday shopping habits ‘established through the year,’ notes CBA leader Curtis Riskey

Preparing to make the most of the crucial Christmas shopping season involves more than just ordering key product in plenty of time, according to CBA Executive Director Curtis Riskey.

Stores need to be working hard the rest of the year to ensure that they are at the top of consumers’ mind when the holiday comes round, he said.

“People make decisions on where they buy at Christmas not just on a sale at the end of the year, but also on which stores are their favorites and who they are buying for,” Riskey told Christian Retailing. “These are habits established through the year.

“Store experience continues to be a critical factor for brick-and-mortar stores, particularly Christian stores that currently are not able to engage customers effectively with digital products—something that must be addressed in our industry,” he added.

Riskey was speaking in the wake of CBA’s State of the Industry report for 2010 that found Christian stores reporting an average 2.1% decrease in net holiday sales last Christmas, while the National Retail Federation found all 2009 season retail sales up only 1.1% from the same 2008 period.

Riskey said that the retail sales decline for Christian stores in 2009 compared favorably to the 10.75% drop seen in 2008 and reflected a need for retailers “to continue maximizing customer engagement throughout the year.”

While between 50% and 60% of some stores’ sales occur in the fourth quarter, “there are opportunities throughout the year to merchandise more aggressively and to participate in ministry,” he added.

Stores should be at the forefront of Christmas celebrations, Riskey said. “Store decorations and environment, events, sales and promotions should be aligned with what Christmas is all about: the birth of our Savior.

“Emotional connections to core customers and active Christians will help sustain the loyal relationships already built with them throughout the year, giving them something more important than a cheap gift that could be bought anywhere,” he added.

As CBA plans consumer-awareness programs for the end of the year, “customer engagement” will continue to be important, Riskey said. “This will not only be driven by the transaction but by communication—information that affects what core customers are interested in—and relationships.”

Stores needed to connect with customers “in a more relational way than a transactional way. Meaning, it’s not about the sale but about what happens because of the sale or during the sale. And it’s not about mass communication, it’s about connecting directly with a passionate group or tribe that thinks and feels like you do.”