10 St. Patrick’s Day Promotion Ideas for Retailers

Grab your four-leaf clover and get ready for some good luck to hit your business. St. Patrick’s Day is coming up, and it’s the perfect time to get some new and old customers inside your store. People are out on the streets, wearing their green and ready to have some fun. Here’s your chance to grab their attention. Check out these 10 St. Patrick’s Day promotion ideas for retailers.

Themed Display Windows

The windows are the eyes of every location—especially retail stores. People walk by and want to make sure your business has that St. Paddy’s Day spirit. Start your promotion off by designing themed display windows.

Don’t leave one window bare. Everything should be green, but the designs need to coincide with the products you sell inside the store. For example, a candle shop could display green candles and little leprechauns smelling them.

Festive Foods and Drinks

Some of the best parts of St. Patrick’s Day are the food and drinks. Lay out some festive foods and beverages for customers to try as they enter and exit your store. This is the one time of the year when people will drink a green beverage and not question it, so have some fun!

Make sure the concoction is sweet and keeps them coming back for more. If you can find the recipe for green cookies or chips, that’s even better. Start displaying the food the week leading up to St. Patrick’s Day. This way, you can see how much you need to supply the day of. If customers have shown a liking, you may need to stock up.

St. Patrick’s Day Discount

Naturally, you need to offer some sort of promotion on the holiday. Go with the classic 17 percent discount on the 17th. Promote the sale on all your social media accounts and the store’s website.

You may not see a lot of foot traffic, but you want to make sure customers know there is a sale coming up and it’s in their best interest to attend. You can either decide to do 17 percent off the entire store or only on select items. Decide based on the store’s current profit and revenue trends.

Pot of Gold Discovery

A pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is always a nice discovery. And your customers will feel the luck of the Irish. Only a select few will get to experience the reward, so you’ll need to set up a tiered mystery discount system.

Have three or four levels, and make the last level the pot of gold discount. Customers won’t know the exact discount you offer them until they click on the link in the email. Have customers that enter the store leading up to the holiday provide their emails so they can be contestants for the draw.

St. Paddy’s Trivia

Not everyone knows the history of St. Paddy’s Day. There’s a lot more to the holiday than wearing green and searching for gold. Start sharing some trivia on your social media accounts. You could even quiz followers and give out prizes to the winners.

Structure the trivia games however you want. The prizes can range from holiday baskets filled with special products to discounts for the first 10 people who answer the questions correctly. You could also invite people to share some of their favorite St. Patrick’s Day memories on your social media.

Dress-Up Incentives

St. Patrick’s Day isn’t necessarily Halloween, but people still dress up for it. Green is everywhere on the day and not because it’s the color of envy. It represents joy and togetherness. Encourage people to wear their best gear to your store.

Spread the word on social media, and hint at an amazing prize everyone will love. Sometimes leaving people in suspense is the best strategy. Don’t explicitly say what the prize is, but drop small breadcrumbs leading to the pot of gold. The customer with the best outfit wins. Include a second and third place.

Lucky Fundraiser

Use this time to give back and encourage others to as well. Choose a cause or charity you’re passionate about, and make sure it aligns with your business. Encourage customers to donate something to the cause with their purchases.

Gather donations online and in-store. This is the perfect holiday to spread luck to people who need it. You could also accept food or clothing donations. It all depends on the cause you choose. Decide based on the type of clientele your store attracts.

Parade Participation

Almost every city throws a parade on St. Patrick’s Day, and your store needs to be involved. Whether you have a small float or you’re walking in the parade and passing out flyers, it doesn’t matter.

The parade is the perfect location to promote your business. Make sure you pair the flyers with something fun. A piece of candy or a string of beads is best because it will encourage potential customers to read your flyer.

Employee Participation

Employee participation doesn’t have to be mandatory, but it should be highly encouraged. Recruiting your team is smart because you need all hands on deck. Ask them to dress up and stand outside the store to draw in a crowd.

Have a few employees in the crowd at the parade so they can tell customers about the store. Footwork may sound like a lot, but on the holiday, it doesn’t feel like work. It feels like a party, and your employees are trying to increase the guest list.

A Little Party

Speaking of parties, throw one! It doesn’t have to be a grand occasion. A small event will do the trick and have the same effect on your business. Place a sidewalk sign holder outside the store advertising the event.

Anyone who walks by will be curious and want to enter. Remember, it needs to look like a fun event. Have lights and music going so customers feel even more compelled to walk in.

There is no better time to promote and advertise your business than on St. Patrick’s Day. And these 10 ideas are just the beginning. Here at Global Display Solution, we can help you brainstorm more. For more information, visit our website.