Milwaukee, Wis. – The holiday season is officially here! This year, the National Retail Federation is forecasting healthy growth in retail sales during the holidays, even with shoppers concerned about fluctuating inflation and economic uncertainty.
However, between higher prices and staffing shortages, the 2025 holiday season is sure to bring challenges for small businesses. Here are BBB’s tips for navigating those issues and ensuring a profitable end to 2025.
How to prepare for the holiday shopping season
- Create a plan of action early. The forecast for consumer behavior may not be crystal clear, but you can still ensure that shelves are stocked and that you are promoting products that fit shoppers’ current wants and needs. Keep in mind your chain of supply could be affected by current events, and plan accordingly.
- Fix any bugs in your online presence. Make sure your website and online shop are up-to-date and running smoothly. Work out any bugs before holiday shopping really picks up. Consider investing in online advertising or social media marketing.
- Prepare for in-person shopping. While most people shop online, in-store shopping is still popular, especially on days like Black Friday. With ongoing staffing shortages, expect to face challenges in hiring and keeping seasonal staff. With many major retailers upping their holiday wages, make sure your business is paying competitively and consider offering flexible schedules and access to benefits. See these BBB tips on employee retention.
- Entice shoppers to buy – without resorting to discounts. High inflation has made shoppers price-conscious. But before you resort to sales to get shoppers in the door, try other ways to entice them. These may include in-store events or gifts with purchases.
- Focus on your top sellers to save money and staff time. Small businesses can streamline their operations by offering fewer but best–selling products or services. For example, a restaurant with 12 entrees could reduce its menu to six top sellers. This will enable businesses to buy larger amounts and negotiate better supplier deals. The same strategy goes for retailers and other business types.
- Consider flexible payment options. PayPal encourages business owners to take a proactive approach this holiday season by embracing digital payments and flexible payment options for consumers to keep sales coming in. Buy now, pay later options, or the option to pay in smaller installments, could encourage consumers to make a purchase they wouldn’t have made if they had to pay upfront.
- Embrace Small Business Saturday. Many communities take the Saturday after Thanksgiving to support local small businesses. If your community does, take advantage and get involved in any activities or promotions in person, online, or on social media.
- Develop a seasonal marketing strategy. Create seasonal offers and spread the word. Some retailers sell gift certificates, hold holiday events, or offer discounts customers can use in January and February when the holiday shopping season dies down. Plan your decorations and storefront ads if you have a brick-and-mortar store or a pop-up tent. Use social media, local coupons, and your Google business profile to let customers know what you have to offer.
- Keep your website, mobile app, and social media channels secure. Update admin passwords and enable two-factor authentication to keep your data, and your customers’ data, secure during the busiest time of the year. Train your employees in cybersecurity to help them recognize scams and to avoid cyber hacks.
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For more information or further inquiries, contact the Wisconsin BBB at www.bbb.org/wisconsin, 414-847-6000 or 1-800-273-1002. Consumers also can find more information about how to protect themselves from scams by following the Wisconsin BBB on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
ABOUT BBB: The Better Business Bureau has empowered people to find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust for more than 110 years. In 2024, people turned to BBB.org more than 220 million times for BBB Business Profiles on 5.5 million businesses, and 725,000 times for BBB charity reports on 12,000 local and national charities. The International Association of Better Business Bureaus is the umbrella organization for the local, independent BBBs in the United States and Canada.
