Dive Brief:
- Similar to other retailers, Belk is hosting a holiday gifting event in stores, according to a Monday press release.
- On Dec. 8 from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m., shoppers can take a holiday-themed photo with Santa’s friends and enter a $500 Belk gift card giveaway by sharing their photo on social media using #BelkHolidayOpenHouse.
- The retailer is also bringing carolers to sing, offering personalized ornaments from calligraphers and providing drinks and treats to shoppers at five locations including stores in Raleigh, North Carolina; Greenville, South Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Columbia, South Carolina; and Birmingham, Alabama.
Dive Insight:
Black Friday and Cyber Monday have passed, but the holiday shopping events are still coming.
In addition to Belk, Nordstrom also announced store shopping events and shopper services taking place through December. This month, Nordstrom is offering multiple holiday-themed perks, including holiday breakfasts through Dec. 17 and pre-recorded Santa greetings delivered on Dec. 21, per its press release.
The rollout of holiday shopping events comes as consumers are predicted to shop more in stores this year. A JLL survey released in October found that 63.2% of respondents will shop for some of their holiday list in stores, an uptick from 58% in 2021.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the holiday shopping season for retailers for the past few years, this holiday season has been complicated by inflation concerns, prompting shoppers to look for any way to stretch their budgets.
Leading up to the holiday season, Belk’s foot traffic has shown signs of improvement in recent months, a Placer.ai analysis found. Its year-over-year traffic dropped by 11.7% in June, but that gap narrowed to 9.8% in July, 7.2% in August and 3.4% in September.
The store has also changed up its leadership ahead of the holidays. The company named Don Hendricks as its new CEO, replacing its former CEO, Nir Patel. It also appointed MaryAnne Morin to be its new president and chief merchandising officer, bringing prior experience from companies like Stein Mart, Republic Clothing Group, Hudson Bay Company, Macy’s and others.
