From in-store decorations to social media promotions, there are many ways to bring the Christmas spirit to your store. But you need to make sure that you’re putting effort into the right things this Christmas to make sure your shoppers feel like Santa, not Scrooge.

1. Make Your Store Christmassy…

One of the best ways to reflect the Christmas spirit is through decorations. By setting up Christmas backdrops and displays, you can make your store festive — and your customers keen to spend. It’s great to keep things fresh; ideally you should be changing your displays every 2-4 weeks.

But don't forget that decoration isn’t just about piling on the tinsel and shelling out for sparkly decor. Even simple, block-colour elements can give your store a Christmassy tone and may match the overall tone of your store in a way that tinsel and glitter doesn't.

And don’t neglect the other senses. Smell, for example, can play a vital part in customer mood (unless your customers have a seasonal head cold) and the use of Christmas scents can increase a customer’s emotional involvement in their shop.

Think about which scents would be most suitable for your store — a fresh scent such as pine, or a rich scent like mulled wine? And, if your store provides food and drink, why not think about some festive tasters? Mulled wine and mince pie samples can really help to get shoppers in the mood.

2. ...But Don't Make It Too Christmassy

Shoppers do eventually grow tired of Christmas, so make sure your store is still usable for the Yule-weary. While the sight of a little tinsel won’t make them run for the exit, Christmas carols on loop and festive animatronics can leave them irritable.

And it’s also worth considering the people who will have the most exposure to your Christmas atmosphere: your staff. As many of them will be in-store all day, make sure there is enough variation to keep them in the Christmas mood. If you decide to play Christmas music in-store, make sure you provide a wide variety of songs, or even alternate with other genres to keep things fresh.

It's possible to over do it at Christmas

3. Make Sure Your Christmas Decorations Add to Your Products, Rather Than Distract from Them

One mistake that many companies make when it comes to Christmas decorations is creating bright, dynamic displays — of Christmas decorations and not much else. While creating stylish windows can attract the attention of customers, by missing out one crucial element — your products — you aren't enticing them inside.

Instead, make sure your products are included in the displays and to the best of their ability. Show them as presents being joyfully unwrapped or display them as baubles on a Christmas tree. Emotionally engage with your customers.

Remind them of the feeling of joy that they get at Christmas and persuade them that your product is the way to gain it.

4. Have a Visual Countdown to Christmas Reminding Shoppers They Are Short on Time

One thing the average Christmas shopper is short on is time. Reminding them that there are only twenty days left before Christmas can make them decide whether to buy the product or not.

Many customers will be browsing prior to buying, or will even be looking at products in your store and comparing them with products online. The best way to combat this is to remind them that your products are available here, today, with no waiting around for deliveries and no reliance on couriers.

5. Social Media Is a Great Way to Reach out to Your Customers at Christmas

Christmas is a time when many people will be sharing content online. Whether it’s goodwill towards others, Christmas appeals or videos of jumping dogs, your customers are more open to sharing posts at this time of year.

You can capitalise on that by creating festive posts and seasonal sales vouchers and competitions. Interact with your customers and give them a reason to visit you in-store or on your website this Christmas.

Dancing dogs: Social media gold

6. Make Sure Your Store Is Easily Navigable for Tired and Confused Christmas Shoppers

Christmas can be a stressful time for your shoppers. If they’ve left things to the last minute — which many of them will have done — they are left wandering from store to store, trying to track down products that are long sold out, or browsing for gifts they aren’t sure about.

One of the easiest things you can do to appeal to these shoppers is to make your store easy to navigate and make use of. By giving them clearly signposted areas, you can reduce shopper fatigue and give them a more pleasant time in-store.

In-store atmosphere is more important to your sales than you might think. By using shopper research, you can identify any issues with your store layout and make sure your shoppers — whether they’re shopping for Christmas or not — are happy with your store.

Phillip Adcock is the founder and Managing Director of Shopping Behaviour Xplained a shopper research agency.