Every retailer knows the holiday shopping season can be the defining factor of a successful year. During this critical window, businesses may earn up to 20% of their annual sales.

Predictions for the upcoming holidays suggest a softer season than last year due to challenges such as inflation and a shorter shopping period. There are only 27 days between Thanksgiving and the day before Christmas — the fewest since 2019 — compared to 32 last year.

“For 2024, it is imperative to push out communications early to capture consumer interest. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and the immediate period afterward, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday, will be critical,” reports Forbes^* magazine. Businesses should “prioritize managing shipping deadlines and inventory and streamline campaign launches to maximize sales.”

Business owners will also want to create a seamless checkout process to maximize sales. Here are some tips for increasing check out efficiency in your store.

• Add a temporary device: The simplest way to speed customers though checkout is by adding another payment device to your current system. You can add a device on a temporary basis and then return it when your busy season is over. Set up is an easy, straightforward process.
• Activate mobile payment acceptance: Bring checkout directly to your customers by adding the talech mobile app to a smartphone or tablet at no extra cost so associates can take payments anywhere in your store. The solution now supports Tap to Pay on iPhones.
• Encourage mobile wallets to fast-track payments: Mobile wallets are the fastest and most secure way to pay. With so many customers set up to use mobile wallets, often it’s just a matter of letting them know it’s an option.
• Optimize online ordering: Customers using Converge should consider the using the Buy Now Button feature to drive impulse purchases and social media promotions. Customers using talech on their point-of-sale should take advantage of microsite and online ordering capabilities.

Online sales broke many records during last year’s holiday seasons and businesses that performed strongly often had payment systems that seamlessly-synched their online sales and in-store sales with back of house operations — ask about our talech or Converge solutions.

Add Everyday Funding: Get funded within hours of a batch submission, seven days a week, including holidays and weekends. This solution is free to U.S. Bank payment services customers funding their U.S. Bank depository account.

Subscriptions and recurring orders: More people are giving subscriptions as gifts, which is good news for retailers who want to build a predictable revenue stream all year long. However, they need solutions to help them set up and manage recurring payments. One solution that can streamline processes and control costs is Account Updater, which automatically checks and updates payment card information.

If you would like to discuss implementing these options, reach out to your Customer Account Manager.