For furniture retailers, the holiday season often means a chaotic mix of new collections, inventory management and surges of shoppers looking for a great deal. Because furniture brands tend to have long lead times, practices for a successful holiday season should realistically begin in early fall, often coinciding with the launch of new products and collections. As consumers are preparing to entertain family and friends, buy gifts and cozy up indoors, furniture retailers should already have a plan prepared and the proper structures in place.

The holiday season starts in earnest right after Labor Day. At this point, having a shared understanding of key information can make the season less stressful and more profitable. Some questions to ask include: Should we discount the new collection? Do we have the capacity to introduce specific holiday collections? Can we afford to tie up capital in inventory to lower lead time and increase customer satisfaction?

The customary long lead times create a strong demand for dining tables, chairs, extra beds and other items often associated with hosting and holiday celebrations. However, it is financially risky to offer price promotions on new collections, so retailers must walk a fine line between strong margins and timely sales. Preparing several tracks in your offering is a good way to navigate this situation:

1. New products that are not discounted but leverage thematic promotion.
2. Activity on timely products, like dining tables, with limited or no discounts.
3. Black Friday discounts on overstock and discontinued items to cater to the in-market, discount-seeking crowd.

For example, earlier in the season, in late September, the focus can be on the dining and guest rooms. Market tables, chairs and extra beds that will upgrade the guest experience. Matching this with interior design services helps guide buyers toward their future dream homes and presents an opportunity to turn them into loyal clients.

During October, Columbus Day offers a strong retail holiday period where dining overstock and floor models can be in focus. When November arrives, Black Friday begins, and the focus shifts heavily to commercial offerings to capture bargain-hunting buyers. When Cyber Monday (December 2, this year) is over, the height of the gifting season officially starts. At this point, the focus should shift toward accessories, small furniture and other lower-priced products.

The holiday season offers a period with an in-market, ready-to-buy audience, so it’s important to plan with your specific category in mind.

Through all of these phases, furniture retailers can take advantage of the opportunity to promote highly relatable holiday-themed events, utilizing tablescapes, accessories and other visual tools to attract a captive audience. Collaborations with like-minded brands where shared databases can be leveraged are another way to make the holiday season even more profitable.

While seasonal considerations provide valuable opportunities for furniture retailers to leverage holiday-specific interests and drive revenue, it is just as important to keep consumers’ overarching trends and priorities in mind. Consumers are becoming more aware of their own consumption, and they’re purchasing accordingly. Durable items that are made to last are creating greater interest, as are those using natural colors and organic designs. Pieces that are expertly crafted and finished by hand serve to work beauty and longevity into a space while coexisting with the consumers’ social and environmental priorities.

Depending on the business, there are many other items you can check to win the holiday season. These include — but certainly aren’t limited to — the in-store customer experience, an omnichannel strategy, analytics and feedback, pricing and discounts, and even financing. While each unique business is different, and each client base will be drawn in by or turned off by different practices and hurdles, there is one universal mandate: Start early and plan carefully. The chaos of the holiday season does not need to be amplified for clients or team members. Preparing before the season picks up ensures a strong foundation is laid and things go as smoothly as possible.

The holiday season offers a period with an in-market, ready-to-buy audience, so it’s important to plan with your specific category in mind. Here is a non-exhaustive checklist of things to consider in preparation for the season:

• Inventory: Stock up, but don’t overstock. Keep a delicate balance to ensure on-trend, popular items are available to meet increased demand, but don’t keep too much inventory that will claim capital and space — and likely lead to heavy markdowns after the holidays.
  
  
• Staffing: Retailers need the right number of employees. Staffing is a big-ticket line item for retailers, but the consequences of understaffing can harm the brand even more in the long term. It’s also important to ensure that all staff members — especially seasonal workers— understand and can represent the brand well enough to deliver the level of customer service required.
  
  
• Marketing: Holiday shoppers enter the market in early fall, so it’s imperative to start marketing early to capture their attention. It takes consistent funding and time to build up awareness and move shoppers through the funnel, so early efforts are rarely wasted. Retailers should also work to target the right audience. Make sure you are reviewing your normal target audience to see if your messaging is correct for that group.
  
  
• Technology and Security: Website performance is crucial during the holiday season. A slow, unresponsive or difficult-to-navigate website will often turn away potential customers. In preparing for the holiday season, it is especially important to ensure your site can withstand the high traffic volumes associated with holiday shopping. In the e-commerce context, robust security measures to protect customer data are also necessary. And when technical issues arise — and they will — make sure you have a tech support team ready to address these problems promptly.
  
  
• Returns and Exchanges: Have clear policies. The holiday season almost inevitably leads to additional returns. Communicating return and exchange policies clearly can help prevent customer disappointment. Try to make the process as simple as possible. Providing a great, hassle-free return experience can make a good impression. Having too many strict policies or confusing guidelines can turn both current and potential clients off for life.