‘Tis the season to be jolly, and nothing says Christmas more than a festive spread on the table. It’s a wonderful time of year and shoppers love the opportunity to splurge on something a little special. Seasonal spending is up and last year saw holiday retail spending reach over a trillion dollars, making up for an average spending of $1,536 per person in the US across the Christmas period.
Marketing campaigns that combine in-store and online promotions help businesses capture this seasonal increase in demand for groceries. Grocers and food retailers are well placed to offer novelty and niche products alongside a tailored customer experience for a jolly holiday shopping season. Choice variety, one-off bargains, and the ability to easily reserve items early are all part of the quality and stress-free shopping experience grocers and food retailers can deploy to compete this holiday season.
With that in mind, here are Local Express’ best Christmas Marketing Ideas Grocers Are Using to Drive Holiday Sales.
An estimated 22 million turkeys are used in Christmas dinners across the USA each year and, especially following a Thanksgiving more expensive than average, grocers can appeal to local bargain hunters with discounts on holiday staples. A bargain never goes out of style, so eye-catching promotions such as a coupon for spending over a certain amount, or free side item giveaways all help shoppers feel they are getting the most out of their money.
Rewarding loyalty at Christmas can encourage customers to return all year. If your store has a rewards program, the end of the year is a great chance for customers to redeem points on special holiday items.
Winning a holiday gift basket can be an excellent way to unite your online and in-store marketing campaigns. Creating original online content such as a seasonal recipe or surprising product use can be a fantastic way to generate interest and even potentially go viral with your competition – just like feta cheese did on TikTok. From this online engagement, you can then direct users to your desired outcome, whether that’s a digital point of purchase or a sign-up page for your store newsletter.
Get going as early as possible and think up a juicy prize early. You can then use the whole of the seasonal period as an opportunity to promote featured products in the hamper. Holiday competitions are a great way to gather customer data and newsletter sign-ups for continued seasonal and personalized promotions all year round as a tried and tested technique to increase customer loyalty.
Create a core holiday meal set and then scale and add various trimmings accordingly to make sure you cater to all price ranges. If possible, go one step further and offer full recipe sets with pre-prepared vegetables and specialized seasoning. Curating specialized tastes and flavors from traditional turkey to more experimental dishes and offering vegan and free-from options are ways grocers and food retailers can appeal to a wide range of tastes.
Setting pre-order dates and requesting a deposit upfront means stores can track orders and better manage their inventories to reduce waste. Meal sets could even be upsold online or via in-store kiosks when customers search for particular items, which could then also be easily customized according to their preferences.
As an grocers and food retailers, you should always be looking for a way to give your customers that little bit more than what retail giants can offer them. Combining unique gift items and set opportunities with the added convenience of wrapping and shipping is another way grocery stores and food retailers can tailor their customers’ experience.
A little extra effort online can go a long way. So, why not drop a drool-worthy product catalog with some featured items and suggested recipes to get your customers’ creative juices flowing?
You can then create an omnichannel marketing campaign where you promote on social media with ads for example, as well as in your newsletter. A themed landing page for your website with digital push notifications across your web browser, mobile app, and kiosks combined with more traditional in-store marketing materials then makes for a cohesive and effective promotional online and offline campaign.
Looking to boost holiday sales and reach more customers this Christmas? Omnichannel marketing gives grocers a powerful edge.
Use it to launch festive catalogs, gift set promos, and holiday giveaways—all synced across online, mobile, and in-store.
Try seasonal campaigns on platforms like TikTok or YouTube to reach younger audiences with fun, brand-forward content. Holiday hashtags, cooking challenges, and even unboxing competitions can turn everyday shoppers into loyal fans.
Want to reach local customers fast? Target Facebook and Instagram ads by ZIP code with limited-time deals on holiday meal kits or seasonal favorites.
Pair your digital campaigns with newsletters, kiosk promos, and in-store signage to keep every customer in the loop—wherever they shop.
Bonus tip: Make Christmas dinner easier, and customers will come back all year.
