McVan Blog

Turkey. Football. Pumpkin pie. Shopping. These are all things we've come to associate with Thanksgiving over the years. Most interestingly, the holiday shopping spree known as Black Friday & Cyber Monday has exploded in popularity over the last decade.

Reports on the 2016 shopping season found that 154 million consumers opened their wallets during the five days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. In fact, Cyber Monday set an all-time record last year with $3.45 billion in online sales!

As a religious retailer, we know you probably have your hands full getting ready for the upcoming holiday season. That's why we pulled together nine of our best tips to help you make the most of your time before, during, and after Black Friday & Cyber Monday. Let's dive in:

In the Catholic Church, medals have an outstanding background of tradition and benefits. One in particular often stands out as one of the most popular medals to purchase. The Miraculous Medal, also known as the Medal of the Immaculate Conception, is beloved by many around the world. This oval pendant is a famous piece of jewelry in the Catholic Church because of the phenomenal and almost fervent influence it has on people.

Cart abandonment is one of the most frustrating conversion issues for online retailers. According to a Baymard Institute study, at least two-thirds of shoppers abandon their shopping carts prior to purchase.

Unfortunately, this is as much of an issue for online religious retailers as it is for sellers in other industries. Luckily, there are some simple ways to combat abandoned cart and increase completed ecommerce sales.

The state of the religious gift shop industry is ever changing. As with all retailers, it depends on the current market climate, consumer’s discretionary spending, and external competition. The outlook for gift shop retailers is generally bright, though many will have to continue to be diligent and develop a keen understanding of both internal and external factors that will shape the industry today and in the future.

With sales of $135 billion in 2016, up from $107 billion in 2015, Amazon is a major player in the world of online commerce. Amazon’s slice of the market share for online retail is expansive and growing, but that doesn’t mean smaller retailers are facing a losing, uphill battle.

The key to remaining competitive is developing an informed and strategic plan guaranteed to help you convert visitors into customers and then keep those customers happy.

Not sure how to compete with Amazon? As a religious retailer, here are a few tactics you can use: 

As the season of gift giving ramps up, displaying your strongest sellers is a wise move and can mean higher sales. For people of faith, Easter is a celebration on par with Christmas, and many appreciate tokens of their faith as gifts. A child’s First Communion and Confirmation are other important days that are often celebrated with gifts. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, two days that often stump the gift giver, are perfect opportunities to give religious jewelry.

Any retail establishment will eventually encounter dissatisfied customers, but religious jewelry retailers have several extra considerations since they’re dealing in high-value commodities. As a relgious jewelry retailer, it’s highly likely you sell several different brands, meaning you’re juggling long-term business relationships with different distributors. This is only half the battle when it comes to unhappy customers.

If you've ever browsed the aisles of a jewelry store, you've likely encountered a lot of terms referring to the silver selection. Silver filled, sterling silver...what do these mean? Knowing the difference between sterling silver and silver filled is important; it will dictate the quality of your piece and how you should take care of it. This is critically important if you want something that’s truly valuable. Let's take a look at these unique terms. 

The four way cross, or cruciform, is seen frequently in religious imagery and jewelry, the latter usually cast in beautiful sterling silver or gold. Religious imagery medals first became popular in the 16th century when the images became recognized as a symbol of faith and devotion. Today, the cruciform is widespread and worn by many. But have you ever wondered what the four way cross symbolizes? This humble medal actually has a very rich and vibrant history.

Sterling silver is a beautiful and durable metal that is made for everyday wear.  Following a few basic use and care guidelines will ensure that your sterling silver jewelry gives you a lifetime of enjoyment.