The Retail Holiday Season of Returns and Gift Cards

The holiday season is in full swing. Last-minute shoppers are in and out of your storefront scrambling to purchase the perfect gift before their time is up. But as a store manager, you know that the busiest time of the year isn’t over quite yet. 

After gifts are distributed, the upcoming weeks are equally hectic in the retail industry. Not only are people coming in to use their gift cards, but they’re also returning items they didn’t care for (without their family members knowing, of course). Are you prepared for the holiday season madness? How well do you think your employees and point of sale system will hold up?

Processing Returns with a Retail POS System

Did you know that 20 percent of returns are made during the holiday season? In fact, a recent survey found that 77 percent of consumers predict they’ll return something this year. It’s inevitable — and as a retailer, the best thing you can do is prepare and be one step ahead.

When it comes to returns, the first thing you need to ask yourself is if your team is ready for action. If you have seasonal employees, are they up to speed? Do they feel that they’ve had enough training to move quickly and efficiently? If you don’t allow all employees to process returns, do you have enough keyholders or managers available to help out? And if you’re comfortable with allowing all cashiers to process returns during the holiday season, how easy is it to change the permissions on your POS software?

Using a point of sale system that has powerful management capabilities and customization options is especially helpful during the holiday season. Our POS software offers several ways to accomplish returns, allowing you to choose whichever method works best for your business. Easily return items no matter which payment method was used, and allow the system to track all of the data for you — down to the reason why items were brought back. Issue refunds or store credit efficiently to keep customers happy and make sure the line continues moving.

Selling and Redeeming Gift Cards 

Selling gift cards during the holiday season is beneficial for multiple reasons. It’s great for marketing to people who have never heard of your store before. If someone receives a gift card to a shop they haven’t visited, it opens up a new opportunity. They may not have come to your store otherwise, but now they’re making their way in. And who knows — they could love their experience and become a loyal customer! That’s why the holiday season is so vital for retailers, as a single visit can make or break it for someone. 

Additionally, when customers come in and redeem gift cards, you can ensure that you’re processing safe and speedy transactions. Gift cards rarely experience issues — and unless someone got slipped up on what their balance was, you don’t have to worry about declining the payment method. It’s safer for both parties when gift cards are used as well, and processing them is typically much faster for checkout.

(If you’re a current POS Nation customer and you need to stock up on gift cards, you can easily purchase more in our online shop!)

Processing Returns and Gift Cards with a POS System

The team at POS Nation wishes you the best of luck this holiday season! If you’re a customer of ours and you have questions or need help with anything at all, feel free to get in touch with us. And if this holiday season has you convinced that you need a new point of sale solution, we’d love to discuss your needs. Contact our product specialists at sales@posnation.com today!