This month we’re asking retailers: What is your business doing to celebrate the festive season?  

Vic Smith – Vic Smith Beds

A few years back we made Christmas trees out of a set of bed springs, and threaded lights through, which was always a talking point as people stop to look! Plus, we’re bring in some fun Christmas doormats in to sell, something different to what we normally do, and it’s an extra way of gaining footfall, and invariably they end up buying a bed!

Kathryn Lukehurst​​​​ – Lukehursts

On Friday 8th December having partnered with a local food and hospitality business Macknade. Lukehursts are hosting a special one off pre Christmas evening by invitation to our customers (and Macknades are inviting theirs) to an evening at our Sittingbourne store where there will be a range of Kentish wine producers, Beer/Cider and Cheese producers carrying out tastings, enabling customers to pre-order for xmas, there will be hampers on display and available for purchase, we are hosting a charity raffle for a local charity AND Lukehursts have a winter sale preview that weekend with extra discounts on brands and a customer loyalty discount with the added benefit of a £50 voucher to spend in Macknades food hall. For us it’s about working with different local partners who have a similar customer profile and offering something a little bit different and interesting to our customers.

Grant Berry – Home World – Mattress & Bed Centres

The festive season is tricky because not everyone loves to work through it. We have a Xmas tree up in the store with the trimmings on, we have boxes of chocolates & other goodies for the staff. This helps keep the buzz right when they are working over the festive season. We also alter our hours of trading with early closes on Xmas Eve & New Years Eve with a later start on New Year’s Day. It’s traditionally a good time to be trading, over the festive season which also helps to keep the buzz, being busy feels good and the days seem to go quicker too. Also, we pay for the staff to have a get together in the pub. We also offer customer’s some great deals at this time of year. 

George Sinclair – Nimbus Beds

We usually do something different for Christmas. Last year was Christmas trees & more Santa stuff. This year we have brought out a website called Santasiphone.com where you can book a live video call with Santa. We will also be providing a Santas grotto at our Cupar branch which had a great turn out last year.

Mike Murray – Land of Beds

Alongside the traditional festive activities such as Christmas Jumper Day and Secret Santa, we’re holding a ‘Storytime with Santa’ event in our Helsby store, on December 1st to kickstart the festive season in a heartwarming way. In partnership with local primary schools and the Rotary Club, this unique celebration goes beyond the ordinary, creating a magical experience for families and children as they get to experience the joy of storytelling with Santa himself, all from the comfort of our cosy bed shop! Plus, having a local concert band and carol singers join us to fill the air with festive music will undoubtedly add to the magical, festive atmosphere. And, of course, what’s a festive celebration without some delicious treats? Mince pies will be on hand to delight taste buds, and each child will receive a special gift, adding an extra sprinkle of Christmas magic to the evening. We see this event as a unique and innovative opportunity to connect with our local community, creating lasting memories and cultivating a delightful sense of unity. All these elements seamlessly align with the importance of bedtime rituals, blending community spirit with the promotion of a restful night’s sleep!

Rhian Griffiths – Leekes

Our teams are always invited to join us in celebrating the festive season with a Christmas party at the Vale Resort or for stores a little further afield they arrange their own parties at local hotels. The teams in store and Head Office also decorate and take part in Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day along with their own departmental celebrations. Buffets and lunches are also offered to the teams during December.

Wendy Martin Green – Peter Green Furnishers

For as long as I can remember we have had a Christmas event for our customers but this year we have decided to take it up a notch and make it much more of a community event for our neighbours. For the whole December 2nd and 3rd weekend, we have invited local crafts people to set up their stalls in our store and in our car park creating a very local shop window for their products. We are excited about this Winter Fair that will enable local artisans to have exposure during the Festive Season. There will be mince pies and mulled wine for the fair goers and children can ride on Trigger the Train, with all proceeds being donated to our local Rotary Club. Visitors can take family photos in our huge red sleigh and even mail letters to the North Pole in our special red pillar box. Father Christmas is scheduled to make an appearance during the weekend too. We will have special promotions running in both furniture and flooring and the top prize in a game of chance is a sofa! We are pleased to be able to invite the community into our store during the Christmas Season and if our guests haven’t been here before, it will give us a chance to show off our beautiful showrooms.

Steve Adams – Mattress Online

At Mattress Online we’ll be sticking with our usual tradition of participating in Christmas Jumper Day, raising money for charity and rewarding the best-dressed efforts across the business. As we turn 20 years old this December, a big staff wide celebration took place in late November – so teams will be enjoying individual festive get-togethers in the busy run up to Christmas.

Huw Williams – Toons Home Furnishers

We have a Christmas department in store so we do dress the shop up for Christmas with several trees decorated within the store. We have also this year invested in large lit Christmas motifs to hang in the store windows (snowflakes and trees). The one thing we do every year to give back to the community we trade in, is that we donate £1000 worth of food to the local food bank to help those who are struggling especially at Christmas time.