Hannah Ostroumoff’s Post

🎄✨ Don’t Be Gnome Alone This Christmas With the festive season well and truly kicking in—Christmas ads airing and lights switching on—Asda’s heartwarming campaign is a brilliant reminder of how brands can connect meaningfully with their customers. With 1 in 10 over-60s expected to be alone this Christmas, Asda is stepping up with initiatives like £1 café deals and "Happy to Chat" badges. These efforts go beyond just selling—they foster community, reduce loneliness, and give people a reason to visit in-store. It’s a fantastic example of marketing with purpose, building trust, loyalty, and a sense of belonging. Retail has the power to make a difference, and this is a campaign that truly shines. What other campaigns have caught your eye this season? #CommunityMatters #ChristmasSpirit #MarketingWithPurpose #GivingBack https://lnkd.in/gNS3hkFy

With the shopping season in full swing, we'd love for you to share and tag your favorite spots to shop, dine, stay, and more. Don’t forget to include your own business or workplace too! #ShopTillYouDrop #ShopTillYouGlow #shoptillyoudrop #shoptilyoulikeitonhand #broomfieldchamberofcommerce #broomfieldchambermembers #broomfieldchamber #smallbusiness #smallbusinessowner #smallbusinesssupportingsmallbusiness

How have festive plans been affected in your high street? After Bert, this weekend it’s Darragh blowing away some of cheer offered by many of our favourite festive events. How frustrating for the organisers, volunteers and businesses behind the many town and city centre winter festivities affected by the prospect of storms, for the second weekend in three. Such festive events contribute to wider wealth and wellbeing, and normally highlight the value of city, town and neighbourhood centres as the economic and social hearts of communities. They deliver our measure of bringing more smiling faces to High Streets. Today should be the time for the Mill Road Winter Fair in Cambridge that is local to The People & Places Partnership Ltd. offices (pictured in linked blog). One of my favourite festive events, it describes itself as “a celebration of community along one of the most diverse and vibrant roads in Cambridge.” Alas, the prospect of Storm Darragh has led to the Fair’s cancellation in its 19th year. Cancellation is described by the organisers as a bitter disappointment and a huge financial blow for the Fair. Run by volunteers, it normally brings together local businesses and organisations, shops and stallholders, musicians, artists and dancers in a “one day of festival joy”. As well as the crowds, the participation of Mill Road’s diverse mix of largely, independent businesses is striking -nearly every one normally has a stall outside its door. When it comes to measuring the merriment and highlighting the wider year-round role of this secondary shopping street, the Mill Road Winter Fair typically ticks most of the boxes: ✅ Showcasing independent shops ✅ Highlighting local hospitality businesses ✅ Taking footfall off-the-scale ✅ Providing free & inclusive entertainment ✅ Encouraging sustainable access across the city Festive events like this might normally only be for one day in the year, though can create lasting impressions about the identity of a place. An afternoon at the Mill Road Fair, was probably a big part of my reasoning for moving into a side-street a decade ago. When all the measures of the merriment are gathered early in the New Year, let’s hope that Christmas 2024 won’t be defined as the one where the storms blew away many of the benefits! #towncentres #neighbourhoods #placebranding #communitydevelopment #localeconomy #cambridge

Shopping can often become a challenge, with crowded stores and queues at the tills, so we've put together some helpful tips to make shopping a relaxing experience. Tip 1: Choose quieter days. From Monday to Thursday, shops are much less crowded. Tip 2: Plan your store visits. Off-peak shopping between 9-11 am or 2-4 pm will help you avoid the crowds and save time. Tip 3: Prepare your shopping list. Cooking meals in advance and organizing your shopping list efficiently will help you manage your time better and be able to spend more time with family and friends at the weekend. By adopting these simple habits, you will find that shopping can also be an enjoyable and efficient activity. #Kaufland #KauflandRomania #Shopping #Retail

Did you know that the summer months are the best time to get your craft items into shops and outlets? Here's why: ☀ If you get into an outlet in summer you'll be seen, not only by your target audience, but by people visiting the area or on holiday. In this area we get lots of people who own static holiday homes who come for the whole summer, so there are more customers in the shops. ☀ You will quickly become established during the busy summer months. ☀ If you're in the right outlets your products will be seen by your target audience . They will really appreciate that your products are more easily available. ☀ If they can get your items from a shop it will mean they don't have to go all they way to a craft fair to find them. They can just grab what they need from the shops that they go to all the time. (Some of my best customers get the bulk of their products from the shops and outlets that I sell in). And here's something you may not have thought about when it comes to going into shops and outlets in summer: ☀ The Festive Season! (I refuse to say the C word before September). ☀ In the retail world, especially in shops, planning for the festive season starts in June/July. So if you happen to already be in that shop or outlet and selling successfully through the summer you're already in the right place. ☀ Outlets festive plans will then automatically involve you - because you're already there. It's way harder to get into a shop in, say, October because plans for Christmas (there I only went and said it 🤦🏼♀️) are already well under way. Stock has been purchased and space allocated for that stock. So there simply won't be room for you. So now's the time to get into that shop you've been eyeing up as a potential outlet. Don't wait, do it now! My 'how to sell in shops and outlets' masterclass will give you all the tools you need to make that step and it's available until 1st July for just £37 when you use code SUMMER24. So you haven't got long to grab this amazing offer. The link is here: https://payhip.com/b/L70qY Lots of love Sue xxx

The holiday season is coming up fast! With only a few weeks to go, it’s time to think beyond decorations and stock levels. While you may have planned out your displays and stocked up on seasonal items, now’s a good moment to consider the overall look and functionality of your store. Flickering lights, unpredictable heating, scuffed walls, or loose fixtures - these small issues can easily become big distractions during the busy season. And as the weather gets harsher, things like door seals, entrances, and roofing deserve attention to keep the shopping environment cozy and secure. A well-kept space makes a difference. Shoppers appreciate stores that feel warm and welcoming, while minor maintenance issues can disrupt that experience. These days, with competition high, a tidy, inviting environment helps keep customers engaged and coming back. With the holiday rush around the corner, don’t wait until problems arise. Have 360Retail conduct a pre-season check to help make sure everything’s in top shape. Prepare now, so you’re ready to offer customers a seamless and enjoyable shopping experience this festive season. Find out how we can help!

Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? Have you even started? December can be an incredibly stressful time for many, not least in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. When it comes to gifting, I like to make sure I’m not wasting money and resources on what are likely to become unwanted presents very soon after the festive season. It can be tempting to make pressure-purchases and feel like you can’t turn up empty-handed, but with what’s thought to be around £700 million spent on unwanted Christmas gifts each year, and with only 1% of Christmas purchases still being used by the summer, I like to be a little sensible. When choosing gifts I like to go local, supporting local businesses and avoiding the global companies. Not only does this keep money in the community, it reduces my carbon footprint. There are so many wonderful businesses in Essex and in small towns across the UK. Consumables are always a good choice as they can be put to good use and enjoyed. Homemade and hand-crafted products are often more ethical than mass produced, and often have a much more interesting story. This weekend, locals to Southend can do some local Christmas shopping at the Old Leigh Christmas Market down at the Crooked Billet on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th from 10am - 5pm.  Looking for skincare products? Salix Moon Apothecary produces small batches of beautiful products. Fancy a tipple? Leigh Spirit Co are inspired by the smuggling past of Southend and produce rum, gin and vodka. And Sticky Pickle are based on Braintree for all of your preserved needs! We hope to pay a visit and pick up a few presents over the weekend - are you doing some shopping? Any recommendations for local businesses, please share in the comments. #leighonsea #southend #shoplocal #christmas #oldleigh #essex

Hello friends family and acquaintances today is SHOPPING REMINDER DAY - November 25! Shopping Reminder Day kicks off an unofficial countdown of sorts. Whether you're finishing up or just getting started, holiday shopping is a task that either stresses people or excites them. For those who look forward to holiday shopping, the idea of finding the perfect gift for someone they love tickles them with energy. However, others like the thrill of the hunt for deals. Still, others just love the energy of giving during the holidays. On the flip side, those who dread holiday shopping dread the crowds and traffic. Budget constraints and the commercialism drive them indoors. Somewhere there must be a balance for all of us. We select the gifts with meaning and fulfill the expectations while keeping those who need the most in mind during this holiday season. If you have holiday shopping to complete, this day is here to remind you there are only so many days left. There are 30 days until Christmas. There are 31 days until the start of Kwanzaa. There are 15 days until the start of Hanukkah. #ShoppingReminderDay #dallasharristips

Take the Stress Out of Holiday Grocery Shopping with Acuity Advantage Grocery shopping during the holiday season can be a challenge. Snow-covered and icy roads, crowded parking lots, messy aisles, and the frustration of missing that one crucial item on your list can turn a simple errand into a stressful ordeal. Add to that the need to visit multiple stores—whether you're preparing for holiday gatherings with coworkers, friends, or family, or you’re combining your grocery run with stops for wine, champagne, or seasonal decor—and what’s usually a quick trip can easily become an all-day event. Here’s the good news: as part of our Lifestyle Management Services at Acuity Advantage, we can take care of this for you! From groceries to wine, and even fresh flowers for your centerpiece, our team can handle your holiday shopping so you don’t have to. Avoid the hassle of crowded parking lots and long lines—let us take the reins. Learn more about how our Lifestyle Management Services can simplify your holiday season: https://lnkd.in/gqvMr_6S This service is perfect for #workingprofessionals and #travelling professionals! Ready to get started? Email us at [email protected] to inquire about personalized support for your holiday needs. #Calgary #AcuityAdvantage #LifestyleManagement #Shopping #GroceryShopping #FlowerShopping #PersonalShoppers Photo by Eduardo Soares on Unsplash

Has anyone seen any Christmas packaging in the shops yet? We’re 3 months away so there’s no doubt it’ll be showing up soon! While we hate to mention Christmas so early, we’re bringing it up for a good reason. Seasonal packaging. Companies have to spend months planning their Christmas campaigns. Apparently, 1 in 4 retailers start displaying festive products as early as August… Have you started yet? Festive packaging is key to increasing market share and boosting your brand image. So you need to plan way ahead to get everything ready in time! Lifestyle’s Steve Brownett-Gale spoke to Packaging Digest about the benefits of seasonal packaging. Discover why you should make your packaging more Christmassy: https://lnkd.in/dggnE6G7 #Christmas #SeasonalPackaging #PackagingDesign #ChristmasPackaging