Retailers: How to Make Golden Week Shine

October 1-7 marks the annual Chinese National Holiday, known as Golden Week. Almost a half a billion Chinese are expected to travel during this period. Even the volatile Shanghai stock market hasn’t dampened these plans as tickets have been purchased well in advance of the current turmoil. While the majority of Chinese travelers will stay close to Asia,  among the top long distance destinations is the U.S. . The #1 activity for these travelers? Shopping.

How can you make your store “Golden”?

Most retailers who see Chinese guests in NY, LA or Las Vegas are already anticipating the surge of shoppers the holiday brings. There is good news for those not historically on the Chinese itinerary: the new visa policies and number of repeat visitors have created a new kind of traveler from China. These travelers are more independent and adventurous looking beyond Fifth Avenue or Rodeo Drive. Whether you already a destination for these high-spending guests or hoping to catch on- here are a few things you can do to welcome the holiday travelers

Work your network- if you have a contact list of guides, tour operators and local hotel concierge make sure that you reach out to them; phone calls are best but an email can also help drive traffic. These communications can just briefly touch on what is happening for the week at your stores- special product, trunk shows, etc. Regular communication with these networks, whether during Golden week or other high travel periods (holiday, summer, conventions) will keep your location top of mind. If you haven't created a network... well that's a story for another post. But wait, there's more! Read on...

Welcome Signs: There are a number of ways to let visitors know that you are “China Ready”.

Union Pay Taken Here-Discreet window labels or plexi-glass signs indicating acceptance of China Union Pay are helpful (these can be obtained from your Union Pay representative). Custom window vinyls like the one seen at Harry Winston on Fifth Avenue not only indicates Union Pay acceptance but also that the store has Mandarin speakers to assist clients.

Speaking of Mandarin- If you are able, hiring a Mandarin greeter for the week period would be gratefully received. Chinese Student Unions at local colleges like BU, UCLA, NYU or Columbia would be helpful for locating well-spoken bi-lingual temporary help.

Guest Offerings- These clients have traveled a long way to visit your establishment, aside from the traditional offering of espresso or wine, consider offering tea or water (room temperature is preferred). If you are able to give guests access to Wi-Fi (used to communicate with friends back home in real-time via WeChat) your guests will be extremely appreciative.

The Sky is the Limit- While Chinese shoppers are usually on a rigorous schedule be certain to take time to show unusual or especially luxurious items. It is very difficult to assess what a client may be prepared to buy, your most affluent consumer is very likely to be wearing a casual windbreaker and comfortable walking shoes! It will  be taken by the client as an indication that you see them as a valued customer and the extra attention will be appreciated. They are also likely to be shopping for friends as well as for themselves (70% of luxury purchases are for gifts) so be certain to keep selling! If your company policy will allow, permit these guests to take photos in your store- they may be showing items for purchase to friends via social media for permission to buy or giving your store a mention on WeChat or Weibo to their network.

Be kind to your Guides- If the visitors are members of a tour group it is also a good idea to treat the guide with special care. While it is best not to be overly demonstrative to the tour leader in the presence of their group be certain to treat them as any honored customer.

Word of Mouth, the new/old CRM-The old retail saying that a happy customer will tell 1-2 people about their experience and an unhappy one will tell EVERYONE is especially true for foreign travelers. Treating these visitors well will translate into vacation memories, stories told to friends and (hopefully) the purchase of many mementos of their trip. As many travelers may become repeat visitors to the US this is the best form of brand evangelism and will turn a valuable client into an advocate for your store.

If you have any questions or would like me to elaborate further on anything here please reach out to me at [email protected]. For more updates on retail tourism please join The Retail Tourism Network here on Linkedin at https://www.dhirubhai.net/grp/home?gid=8393084 and join the discussion!