Autumn Retail Trends

With the summer holidays well and truly over, autumn brings a myriad of new opportunities for retailers.

Celebrate traditions

While retailers are experts at being at the heart of Christmas with well-planned store designs, windows displays and promotions, dates such as Bonfire Night and Halloween can sometimes be overlooked. Retailers have a role to play in building excitement for those events and it’s no longer just about selling fireworks and fancy dress.

Shoppers hold parties, dress their homes and prepare special food and drink. To maximise the opportunity, get involved and celebrate those events by extending your range, cross-selling and dressing stores appropriately. Theme your advertising and social media activity, and remember there are opportunities not just for retailer-generated content but for consumer-generated content too.

Don’t believe the hype

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are now a fixture on the autumnal retail sales calendar. Getting bigger every year, shoppers expect to get a deal that’s as good as, if not better, than they would get in the Boxing Day or January sales.

Be warned. Heavy discounting that takes advantage of the hype without any big idea that translates consistently across channels or that resonates with brand values will not strengthen your proposition. Take advantage of this period and be creative, but remain within the boundaries of your brand. This means coming up with promotional names, events and special opening hours that are executed consistently and with brand relevance.

Get into the autumn spirit

Retailers can’t consider autumn without looking ahead to Christmas. Seemingly getting earlier each year, this year was no exception as we saw Selfridges capitalise on tourists looking to bag a festive treat with the launch of its Oxford Street Christmas Store in August. While it pays to take advantage of early present buyers, don’t overlook the current season. Capture and get into the autumn spirit by paying homage to the colours, images and events of the season and you’ll capture the hearts of shoppers who love this period too.

For more retail trends inspiration take a look at our insight reports

Sue Benson, Managing Director