The tans will fade, but the memories will last forever. So goes a popular quote about summer that all retailers should pay attention to. When summer visitors come to your town they are looking for mementos that will evoke the memories of their time there and you should be ready to provide just that! We’ve put together some tips to help you get your retail space ready for summer visitors.

Make plans for digital marketing buys. Target people online who have expressed an interest in your town. Facebook ads can now be targeted to include “traveling in this location.” You can create messaging specifically tailored to visitors and will know that those messages are reaching visitors that are there to have fun and, hopefully, spend some money! Make sure that your digital ads are optimized for mobile as Facebook users access the site via the mobile app at a rate of 75% in the summer months.

Reach out to hotels. Build relationships with the concierge of local hotels so that they are aware of the products you offer and can easily recommend your store to their guests. Concierge are often asked for advice about what is truly local and so showing them that you can offer an exceptional, one-of-a-kind experience in your store is important.

Rearrange. Walk through your space with the eyes of a tourist. Place items that are easily packable, or make great gift and souvenirs, in highly visible spots so that tourists can spot them immediately. Create window displays that reflect summer fun and put out a sandwich board to draw in passersby.

Capitalize on culture. Branded items that reflect either your town’s culture or carries its name are always big sellers. T-shirts, beer mugs and hats may not be a good fit for your retail store, but that doesn’t mean you can’t offer unique, high quality souvenirs for visitors. The whole idea of purchasing something while traveling is to remind the buyer of the place and experience they had while traveling. So choose a special coffee blend, jewelry depicting a local landmark or anything made by local artisans to draw tourists.

Think about the experience. Print up small branded cards with events happening around town each week that are well known to locals but not necessarily to tourists. Include things like free concerts in the park, farmers’ markets and group bike rides. Add some favorite tips like best ice cream stop or favorite place to take the kids and then ask these businesses if they would like to keep some cards on their counters as well for cross promotion.

The Marketing 360 Payments team is prepared to guide you through the point of sale system options that will be most effective in managing increased summer traffic. Contact a Marketing 360 Payments representative for an appointment. We’ll help you maximize the capability of your POS system so you can focus on growing your business. We are ready to help make your business richer!