Black Friday is just around the corner, and for retailers, the busiest shopping days of the year can bring both big opportunities and unexpected challenges.
Between holiday promotions, increased foot traffic, inventory demands, and busy checkout lines, the last thing you want is a point-of-sale issue slowing things down.
The good news? A little preparation now can help keep your store running smoothly when the holiday rush hits.
Here are five things every retailer should review before Black Friday.
1. Make Sure Your Inventory Is Accurate
Nothing frustrates a customer faster than finding out an item showing as available is actually out of stock.
Before the holiday rush, take time to:
- Review inventory quantities and investigate discrepancies.
- Identify your best-selling products and check stock levels.
- Review outstanding purchase orders and expected deliveries.
- Make sure new holiday merchandise is entered correctly.
Counterpoint Tip: Use inventory and sales reports to identify popular products and make more informed replenishment decisions.
2. Set Up and Test Holiday Promotions
Black Friday specials, percentage discounts, promotional pricing, and limited time offers can bring customers through the door, but only if they work correctly at checkout.
Before your promotions begin:
- Verify promotional pricing and effective dates.
- Confirm discounts apply to the intended merchandise.
- Test sample transactions.
- Check how multiple discounts interact.
- Make sure employees understand any special offers.
Counterpoint Tip: Review your promotional pricing setup and test transactions before your sale begins. Catching an issue early is much easier than correcting pricing errors during a busy shopping day.
3. Give Your POS Equipment a Checkup
Your registers work hard all year, but the holiday season can put additional demands on your checkout stations.
Now is a good time to check:
- Receipt printers and paper supplies.
- Barcode scanners.
- Payment terminals and connections.
- Cash drawers.
- Workstations and network connectivity.
Don’t forget to check any backup equipment you may need during peak shopping hours.
Counterpoint Tip: Make sure all registers and connected devices are functioning properly before your busiest sales days. If something has been acting up, now is the time to address it.
4. Get Your Employees Holiday-Ready
Even the best POS system is only as effective as the people using it.
Seasonal employees, increased transaction volume, and complicated promotions can create confusion at checkout.
Take a few minutes to review common procedures with your team, including:
- Processing returns and exchanges.
- Applying discounts and promotions.
- Redeeming gift cards.
- Looking up inventory.
- Handling common checkout questions.
Counterpoint Tip: A quick refresher on everyday Counterpoint functions can help employees feel more confident and keep checkout lines moving.
5. Use Your Reports to Plan Smarter
Your previous holiday sales can provide valuable insight into what to expect this year.
Review last year’s Black Friday and holiday sales to identify:
- Best-selling merchandise.
- Peak shopping days and times.
- Successful promotions.
- Inventory shortages.
- Sales trends by department or category.
Counterpoint Tip: Counterpoint’s reporting tools can help you turn historical sales data into better decisions about inventory, staffing, and promotions.
Don’t Wait Until Black Friday to Find a Problem
Black Friday falls on November 27 this year, followed by Small Business Saturday on November 28 and Cyber Monday on November 30.
That means retailers have a limited window to get everything ready.
Whether you need assistance with Counterpoint promotions, reporting, employee training, or technical troubleshooting, the Mainspring team is here to help.
A little preparation today can make a big difference when the holiday rush arrives.
