Patricia Norins

Local retailers are the backbone of our communities in which they do business. With that, American Express launched a nationwide campaign last year to promote local retailers and encourage shoppers to spend their holiday dollars in their local communities at small businesses on Saturday, November 26th, the day after Black Friday. In this article, Patricia Norins, Editor of Gift Shop Magazine, highlights 9 tips on how to market Small Business Saturday to optimize your store's traffic and sales.

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You’ve heard your customers say, “I’m just browsing." And they’re not being untruthful. The reality is that they don’t yet know what they want to buy until they see it. Here are some tips on how you can increase total spending in your store at the cash register.

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You've heard about the thousands of retailers who are successfully using Facebook to create an online community for their store. Are you on board?

>> Learn the benefits of Facebook & how to quickly start your store's page

The show season is quickly approaching, and based on your busy schedule you probably haven't had the time to sit down and create a summer buying strategy. Here's a three-step game plan to help you avoid big buying mistakes this summer.

>> View my 3 steps

If you don't send at least a monthly email blast to your customer list, you're missing a valuable opportunity to reach out and draw them into the store. Building and maintaining a strong customer email list is important to the success of your business and the growth of your bottom line.

>> Read 5 ideas on how

Are you under-utilizing your counter space?

>> Here are eight tips to increase impulse buying