Retail Marketing: Halloween Marketing Ideas

Retail Marketing: Halloween Marketing Ideas

Retailers are beginning to prepare for the holiday shopping rush, starting with Halloween. 

Prosper Insights & Analytics has reported that 2020 Halloween had an estimated spending of $8.05 billion which means that this is the perfect opportunity to kickstart your store’s marketing efforts before the holidays.

Halloween By The Numbers

Based on the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) 2020 Annual Halloween Spending Survey, almost 74% of shoppers aged 18-44 plan on celebrating the festive season this year – spending an average of $92.12 per person

The post popular items that shoppers are planning on purchasing include candy (95.66%), costumes (67%), decorations (76.16%), and greeting cards (39.66%)

With these numbers in mind, we’ve put together a list of Halloween marketing ideas. Keep reading to find out how you can take advantage of these insights and sell more this Halloween season!

4 Halloween Marketing Ideas To Help You Sell More

1) In-Store Merchandising 

pumpkin display halloween

28% of shoppers plan on gathering shopping inspiration from inside physical retail stores. 

Get shoppers through your door by displaying your seasonal merchandise (whether you plan on using an entire aisle or a single point-of-purchase display) at a prominent location.  Use proper signage to lead shoppers to your Halloween-themed merchandise and displays, will also make them more likely to purchase.   

Not selling Halloween-themed products? You can still decorate your store with some festive decorations and visual merchandising. Think about creating a window or point-of-purchase display that showcases products that you already sell – but with a twist. You can use spider webs, jack-o-lanterns, leaves, and fall colours (black, orange, red etc.) to spook things up. 

bats Halloween window display

2) Use Your Online Presence Effectively

Halloween pumpkins

35% of shoppers site online search as their source of Halloween shopping inspiration. Dress up your physical store for Halloween and add festive elements to your online presence as well. 

Completely revamping your store’s website is time-consuming and in some cases, it can be expensive. But adding a Halloween touch to your website can go a long way in getting shoppers in a festive spirit. Including Halloween images on your homepage, fixing themed add-ons, and adding pop-up designs are all cost-effective and easy ways to add a spooky feel. 

You can also drive more shoppers to your website by creating a separate page (a landing page) dedicated to Halloween. Here are a few tips: 

  • Create a Halloween gift guide for your shoppers that features all of your Halloween merchandise. If you don’t sell Halloween merchandise, consider posting helpful Halloween content. Some good content or blog post ideas include: “Halloween costume ideas for children”, “Halloween decor ideas”,”DIY costumes for adults”, and “tips for hosting a Halloween party”. 
  • Use Halloween keywords (this will help your store appear higher up in search). 
  • Promote any seasonal discounts or promotions that you are holding. 

Don’t forget to decorate your social media and email marketing campaigns for Halloween as well!

3) Google Local Inventory Ads (LIAs)

Google Local Inventory Ad

Considering that the majority of shoppers are planning to use a search engine as a source for shopping inspiration, it is also a good idea to run local inventory ads on Google. These ads are tailored to users based on their location. With these ads, shoppers will see in-stock product of local retailers in the area. 

Here are a few tips for optimizing your Google LIA campaigns: 

  • Target mobile shoppers: shoppers are searching on their phone before visiting physical stores to ensure that their trip is worth it. In fact, 86% of Canadian shoppers said they will go to the store to buy when that store has an item they need or want immediately. You can target mobile shoppers by placing a positive mobile bid adjustment to your campaigns. It’s best to boost ad groups/campaigns that have strong mobile performance. 
  • Adjust for high traffic hours: while you want to keep ads active 24/7, it is a good idea to boost ad performance during high traffic hours. This includes the hours that your store is open and when your shoppers are most likely to search. 
  • Consider physical location: Users closest to your store (20-35 km radius) are much more likely to visit than others who are. Target local shoppers by increasing bids for users that are closest to your store. 

For more information on how your retail store can easily implement Google LIAs to increase foot traffic and sales, click here

4) Add Halloween Products 

Halloween treats

If your store doesn’t sell any Halloween merchandise, you can consider selling seasonal items to boost your store sales.

The following are some good examples of how retailers can add in popular seasonal offerings: 


Want to know more about how Google My Business can help you rake in more sales?

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Increase Retail Store Foot Traffic with Google Local Inventory Ads

Increase Retail Store Foot Traffic with Google Local Inventory Ads

Google Local Inventory Ads (LIA) significantly increase retail store sales by turning nearby shoppers who are searching online into in-store customers.

River IslandBest Buy, and Williams-Sonoma Inc. are examples of retailers who have successfully leveraged Google LIA together with their POS systems to grow foot traffic and sales. Now, smaller retailers have the chance to do the same with a minimal budget. 

Keep reading to find out how you too, can take advantage of this opportunity to increase your retail sales.

Local and Mobile Searches Lead to In-Store Purchases 

There are two factors that make Google LIAs so effective:

For retailers, this means that there is a lot to be gained by being easily found online. The challenge then becomes figuring out how to give target shoppers the answers they are looking for at the exact moment that they are searching. 

This is where Google Local Inventory Ads come in. 

Google LIAs helps store owners succeed in these micro-moments – by capturing shopper intent and most importantly, the sale.  

What are Google Local Inventory Ads (LIA)? 

Local Inventory Ads showcase product and store information to nearby shoppers who are searching on Google. They are different from traditional Google ads as they are designed to drive shoppers to your physical store. While users also have the option of purchasing online (if you have an e-commerce store), LIAs are meant to attract nearby users and only show when a shopper is within a certain range of your store. 

When shoppers click on an ad, they are taken to the local storefront page which can be either a Google-powered product listing or your own e-commerce site. Here, they can view other in-stock merchandise as well as important store information such as business hours, directions, current promotions, and more. 

Below is an example. 

laundry detergent google search

When I search for “laundry detergent near me”, Local Inventory Ads  appear next to the search results. Both Canadian Tire and the Home Depot are currently running LIA campaigns for laundry detergent (pointed out in red below). 

I know that at Canadian Tire and the Home Depot, the items are definitely in stock because of the “in store” label. 

Google LIA example

How do Local Inventory Ads Work?

Let’s take a look at the example below. 

Canadian Tire is looking to increase foot traffic to their physical stores. 
So they’ve purchased Local Inventory Ads hoping to target local shoppers like me. They’ve set up a Google Shopping campaign that showcases ads to shoppers within a 45 km radius.

google local inventory ads

As you can see above, I’ve made a search on my mobile phone for a ceramic stove top-cleaner. Like most people (87% of shoppers), I frequently turn to a search engine as a resource for product information.  

By looking at the search results, I can see that Canadian Tire has what I need in stock and the closest store is only 2 km away. 

I decide to head to the store because I am certain that they have the product that I need. A store associate is able to tell me more about the product in-store and even recommends I try out a surface scraper. After my conversation with a store employee, I’m happy to purchase both products. 

Key Benefits of Google Local Inventory Ads 

1) Promote In-stock Inventory: 41% of shoppers wish that retailers would do a better job at sharing inventory information.

LIAs let local shoppers know that you have the items they are looking for – at the exact moment that they are searching for it. The ads even create a sense of urgency and encourage shoppers to act by letting them know when certain items are low in stock. 

2) Advanced Geo-targeting Capabilities: Target local shoppers who are actually nearby the store and are looking to purchase. Advanced geo-targeting capabilities allow retailers to reach target shoppers within a certain km radius.  

3) Measure Campaign Results: See how your ads are impacting your bottom line. Monitor the effect LIAs are having on foot traffic and in-store sales – and adjust your campaign bids accordingly. 

4) Gain a Competitive Edge as an Independent Retailer: In the past, Google LIAs were only available to national retailers. But now, independent retailers have the ability to run high-performing ads on Google with a minimal budget. For as little as $150-$300 per month, store owners have the ability to drive local foot traffic and increase store sales.

5) Automatic Ad Optimization: To minimize marketing costs, LIAs automatically turn off when products sell out. Not only does this benefit your bottom line, it also results in a better shopping experience for your customers.


To learn more about how your retail store can easily implement Google LIAs to increase foot traffic and in-store sales, click here

#google #localinventoryads #retail #onlinesearch #foottraffic #physicalretail #retailstore 

Retail Marketing: Attract Local Shoppers with Google My Business Posts

Retail Marketing: Attract Local Shoppers with Google My Business Posts

For those of you who don’t know, Google My Business is a powerful tool that allows retail businesses to connect with local shoppers. 

And posts on Google My Business is a promotion tool that helps optimize a store’s business listing and increase foot traffic. 

Put simply, it is an easy and free way to promote your business locally. 

I’ll explain more below.

What are Google My Business Posts? 

Google My Business posts is a feature that allows you to share content about your store on Google Search and Maps. It is similar to any other social media platform like Twitter or Facebook. 

As a store owner, you are able to share news, promotions, events, and new products with shoppers. It posts directly to your Google My Business listing – so existing and potential customers can see your content directly in search results. 

google my business posts

What are the Benefits of Google My Business Posts?

local shopper

Posts on Google give retailers the ability to communicate with shoppers so they are better informed when making purchasing decisions. Which means that local businesses are able to: 

  • Engage shoppers with attractive content (photos, videos, GIFS etc.) 
  • Promote any new sales, products, or events
  • Improve shopper experience with relevant and timely information 
  • Communicate directly with local shoppers 

How Does it Work?

google search

For each post, business owners can include text, call-to-action buttons, and/or photos or videos to promote their store. There are four different GMB post types including: 

What’s New: Share general information about your retail business. For example, you can give shoppers an inside look at your Halloween displays and merchandise.

Events: Promote any upcoming events that you are holding. Each event requires a start time, end time, and a title. It is also good practice to include a photo/video,an event description, and a call to action button leading to a landing page for your event.

Products: Store owners also have the option of promoting any products or new merchandise. For example, a pet store could promote their new range of dog food. Keep in mind that product posts require a title and photo/video.

Offers: According to Google, 50% of shoppers are looking for promotions and discounts when searching for a business online. So provide shoppers with information on the latest sales and promotional offers. Offers will appear at the top of your business listing on both Google Search and Maps. 

These posts require a title, and start/end dates. It’s also good practice to include photos/videos, descriptions, coupon codes, and terms and conditions of the offer. The call-to-action button “View” will automatically appear on all Offer posts.

Some Important Things to Note 

  • GMB posts disappear after 7 days unless you set another shorter time frame. This is why it is important to post consistent and relevant content. 
  • It is a good idea to include GMB in your marketing strategy. Place the same importance on GMB posts as you would on other social platforms like Instagram or Twitter. 
  • Google provides insights on your posts – including how many views each post got. It also tells you how many users clicked on a link in a post

We hope you found this article helpful!

Would you like to learn how to attract local shoppers on Google?

Good news – we are hosting a breakfast seminar exclusively for GTA store owners! We will be discussing how you can attract more local shoppers with POS technology among other important topics. To learn more about the event and to register, click here.

#retailmarketing #googlemybusines #digitalmarketing #localseo #foottraffic #googleposts #posts #benefitsofGoogleposts

Retail Marketing: 3 Digital Marketing Tactics That Drive Foot Traffic

Retail Marketing: 3 Digital Marketing Tactics That Drive Foot Traffic

Are you looking for a cost effective tool to drive footfall to your store? 

Then you should consider targeting shoppers online with digital marketing tactics. 

The Importance of Digital Marketing for Retailers

Many retailers disregard the importance of digital marketing. In fact, only 44% of local retailers have claimed a Google My Business Listing

If you are not making use of digital marketing tools, you are missing out on a huge chunk of customers! 

Shoppers are now searching for retail businesses like yours online. According to Google:

  • 3 out of 4 customers now use a search engine to find a business. 
  • 7 out of 10 customers made a purchase from a business they found using a search engine. 

This is why digital marketing strategies are essential for retailers who are looking to drive foot traffic and sales. 

To learn more about the benefits of digital marketing for retail stores, click here

Below are three strategies you can leverage to build an online presence and attract more shoppers. 

3 Online Marketing Tactics that Increase Foot Traffic 

1) Local Directory Listings 

local seo

Local search results present a huge opportunity for retail stores; according to Google, 80% of people now use a search engine to find local information. 

This is why local directory listings are so valuable to retailers as a digital marketing tool – they help optimize your retail business for local search (or local SEO). In simpler terms, they help you be found locally by making your retail store appear in search results. 

Directories feature business information such as your address, contact information, store hours along with other useful features such as customer reviews, images, videos, and preferred payment options. 

Not only do local directories help you appear higher up in search results – they also help your business stand out among big box stores and online retailers. 

As mentioned above, most retail stores haven’t optimised for local search while online competitors can’t compete with your store locally. Meaning – there is a competitive edge you can gain by focusing on local SEO. 

To learn more about the basics of SEO, click here

The following are some online directories that will help you get noticed in local search results:

  • Google My Business
  • Yelp 
  • Yahoo Local 
  • Bing Places for Business
  • MerchantCircle
  • Yellow Pages
  • Foursquare
  • Manta
  • Angie’s List
  • Citysearch

2) Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS) 

shopper buying online

Buy Online, Pick Up In-store or BOPIS (also commonly known as click and collect) takes advantage of consumer shopping habits to drive foot traffic. 

This omni-channel strategy draws on the fact that shoppers prefer to see the physical product in person but want the convenience of browsing online. In a recent survey, 50% of shoppers stated that they decided where to make a purchase based on whether a store offered BOPIS options

BOPIS is increasing in popularity as more and more retailers are adopting the strategy in order to remain competitive in the age of Amazon. And it is a tactic that seems to be working – according to the Business Insider, 68% of US consumers have made multiple click and collect purchases

Retailers adopting BOPIS strategies are also reaping the benefits – 85% of shoppers made additional purchases when picking up an order in-store

To summarize, BOPIS drives foot traffic while offering several advantages to retailers including: 

  • Higher rates of impulse purchases  
  • Decreased shipping costs 
  • Lower return rates
  • Satisfied shoppers

3) Google Local Inventory Ads

foot traffic

Google Local Inventory Ads are one of the most important digital marketing tools that retailers can leverage to drive foot traffic. This is because LIAs give retailers the unique ability to display a store’s in-stock merchandise –  at the exact moment that a relevant local search is made.

According to Google, shoppers prefer and act on location based ads

When a shopper makes a relevant product search, and that product is available at a local store, they will be shown a local inventory ad with an “in stock” label.

Once that shopper clicks on the ad, they will be taken to the Local Storefront page. Here, they will be given more information about the product and your physical store including other in-stock inventory, current promotions, store location, and hours. 

So by implementing Google LIAs in your digital marketing strategy, you will be able to target local shoppers and drive relevant traffic to your store! 


We hope you found this article helpful!

Would you like to learn more about how to increase your retail store’s online presence? 

Good news- we are hosting a breakfast seminar exclusively for GTA store owners! We will be discussing how you can attract more local shoppers with POS technology among other important topics. To learn more about the event and to register, click here.

#digitalmarketing #foottraffic #builtforretail #increasefootfall