Advice: How to prepare for big events

Every year brings new opportunities for independent retailers in the form of large-scale and important events. Some of them are annual occasions, such as Christmas, Halloween and Easter, that can be prepared for in largely the same way each year. But there are also events that only happen every so often, and these require a bit more forward planning if retailers are to get their stores, their staff and their customers prepared properly. 

Retailers should keep their eyes peeled for big events, whether it’s major tournaments such as the Olympics in Paris, Euro 2024 in Germany and the T20 Cricket World Cup in the West Indies and US, new movie franchise releases such as Deadpool 3, or anniversary celebrations like the 20th anniversary of Peppa Pig, which will be happening in 2024. 

All of these events will likely see trading cards and stickers, promotional campaigns, and opportunities to add in-demand ranges and products to your store’s offer. 

“We’ve got a lot to look forward to with the Olympics, which is a huge event. The Euros is even bigger, because you’d expect to see Scotland and England do well,” says Anand Cheema, from Costcutter – Fresh in Falkirk. “Hopefully, they can make the knockout stages, which will be a huge bonus.” 

It’s important to recognise these opportunities well ahead of schedule. Consider how far in advance retailers start planning for Christmas and Easter, and apply the same schedule to getting stock in for the big sporting tournaments that create big-night-in opportunities. 

Talk to suppliers, symbol groups and other retailers to gain insights into what’s happening, what’s available and how you can get more involved. You should also be mindful of what will appeal to your customers. 

“For the Euros, it can go both ways,” says Alan Mannings, from the Shop on the Green in Chartham, Kent. “If it’s an evening kick-off, then everyone goes to the pub in the village to watch the game and our sales don’t reflect what they should do.” 

 Collectables for the Euros 

Andrew Howell, from Loch Lomond News in Balloch, West Dunbartonshire, isn’t yet aware of any Olympic collectables for 2024, although he would love to see some, but he predicts that the market for trading cards and stickers from the Euros will be massive. 

“We had an amazing time with the World Cup and the Women’s World Cup, and we’re also looking forward to the launch of the first Women’s Super League collection from Panini, which should be really good,” he says. 

Howell recommends retailers keep their eyes peeled for any big anniversaries and new releases in film and TV, citing the success of a Jurassic Park range of trading cards this year that was a celebration of all six films. 

“There’s a Spider-Man collection out at the moment which covers all the films, and we’ve already seen really strong sales,” he says. 

Read more: Advice: Odd jobs that make the big difference

Scotland in the Euros 

In 2016, England and Wales were in the Euros, and in 2020 it was England, Wales and Scotland. England and Scotland have already qualified for the 2024 competition, with Wales still bidding for a place. This means that there are plenty of opportunities for retailers to get involved and push sales in the build-up to the competition. 

“It’s an important one for Scotland because we’re in it, but we’d like to have all the nations’ flags up in the store because people come to us from all over Europe,” says Sid Ali, from Morrisons Mintlaw in Aberdeenshire. “We’d like to see some strong promotions on match nights, as well as the day before and the day after the game. Since we’ve become part of a franchise, we’ve seen significant improvement in our seasonal activity. With Morrisons, we have things to stick on the windows and the ceilings, which all gets the staff, the store and the customers up for that event.” 

 There’s a general election coming 

Some events aren’t necessarily sales events in their own right, but will still have a lasting impact on a store’s future prospects. Alan Mannings, from the Shop on the Green in Chartham, Kent, doesn’t expect people to be buying more products from him on the night of the general election given the relative safety of most seats in the county, but the result could change the way the industry operates. 

“If Labour win, there will be many people without a job in certain sectors. They will spend in other sectors, though, and there will be some growth, and then you could see a big increase in sales,” he says. “It will give people a lift after the restraints we’ve had over the past few years. 

“Obviously a lot of the things they will say they will do they won’t do next year, but any noise that gives people confidence to start up building projects and the like will have a positive influence.” 

 The disposable question 

Anand Cheema, from Costcutter – Fresh in Falkirk, believes the general election could have a major impact in Scotland where the SNP are not expected to enjoy the same landslide as last time. 

“It will be interesting to see who wins,” he says. “It will be a lot closer than previous elections.” 

Some retailers think the proposed restrictions on disposables will be delayed, Cheema recommends retailers think about how they mitigate the potential margin loss should something happen to the category. 

“The cost-of-living crisis hasn’t hit as hard yet as I believe it will hit next year,” he says. “It will be hard, but the convenience sector seems to come out strong. 

“We’ve lots to look forward to. We saw a big increase in sales when Scotland competed at the previous Euros, and the Euros are closer to home than the World Cup.”