With the holidays quickly approaching, there's no better time to deck your digital halls for a successful season. The holiday season is the most popular time of the year for couples to get engaged--which makes January the most popular month for registries to be created. Let's make sure you're ready.

While Santa is checking his list twice, our Shop Local Team has created a checklist just for you. ✅ Our Holiday Checklist makes it easy to prep your store, boost your online presence, and maximize seasonal sales. Feel free to use our PDF version, or print it out and check it off as you go.

📣 Once you've checked off a step, send us a picture! We'd love to feature your store in our news and social media.

We're here to help you make the most of this busy, joyful time of year. 

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1. Customize Your Shop Local Store for the Season: Add Holiday Hours, Quick Links, Etc.

• Update your Shop Local Store to match your in-store's holiday vibes and info.
• Share your adjusted store hours during the holiday seasons and add important quick links to your favorite holiday collections or brands.
• For steps on updating your store hours, please click here: https://www.shoplocal.org/help-center.cfm/27/Edit-or-Update-Your-Account-Information-/-Edit-Your-Profile.
• For steps on how to add quick links, please click here: https://www.shoplocal.org/help-center.cfm/559/Customize-the-Design-of-Your-Shop-Local-Store#Links.
   

2. Add Your Top Holiday Items to Your Shop Local Store

• Have some popular holiday items in your store? Add them to your online offering.
• With a couple of clicks, your Online Store can offer your favorite products for the season. Customers can easily add those items to their cart and enjoy them at home.
• For steps on how to add items to your Shop Local Store, please click here: https://www.shoplocal.org/help-center.cfm/84/Add-New-Items-/-Products-to-Your-Shop-Local-Account.
   

3. Post on Social Media: Favorite Holiday Items, Staff Favorites

• We all know the importance of using social media to boost our online sales--using it during the holiday time is just as important.
• Want to easily share your favorite items with a link to buy that item? See some news made by our Syncing Brands that you want to share? We make it super easy to share from your Shop Local site to Facebook.
• To share your Shop Local products and news from your network, please click here: https://www.shoplocal.org/help-center.cfm/218/Share-Your-Shop-Local-Products-and-News-on-Facebook-/-Make-Your-Shop-Local-Products-and-News-Shoppable-on-Facebook.
• If you'd like to see some examples of other members sharing posts on Facebook, please click here: https://www.shoplocal.org/help-center.cfm/709/Examples-of-Members-Mentioning-Shop-Local-in-a-Social-Media-Post.
• BONUS: We've crafted a 2026 Social Media Guide just for you. The guide includes 8 quick tips & 8 ready-to-use registry post ideas for your social media this holiday season. Check out the guide here: https://www.shoplocal.org/news.cfm/26969/Your-2026-Social-Media-Guide-for-the-Holidays--8-Tips-for-Posting

4. Add Holiday News & Slides to Your Store

• Add some flair by adding news posts and slides to get your customers in the holiday spirit.
• News posts are a great communication tool to share your gift-giving guide, store info, favorite products, and more. Slides can give your Shop Local site a refreshed look.
• You may also want to add a banner on your Shop Local Store. Banners are a quick, easy way to alert your customers and potential registrants of holiday sales, updates, etc.
• For steps on how to post news, please click here: https://www.shoplocal.org/help-center.cfm/129/How-to-Post-News---Sharing-News,-Events,-and-Files.
• For steps to add your own custom slides, please click here: https://www.shoplocal.org/help-center.cfm/198/Add-and-Update-Slides.
• For steps on how to add a banner, please click here: https://www.shoplocal.org/help-center.cfm/125/Add-or-Edit-a-Promotional-or-Sale-Banner.
   

5. Print Your Wedding Registry and Wishlist Flyers for In-Store Display

• Your store has its own personalized, free flyers available now via your Shop Local account.
• As more couples get engaged this holiday season, make sure they know your store offers an online gift registry service. Your flyers include QR codes that make it easy for couples to register online in minutes.
• Additionally, your Shop Local Gift Registry offers wishlists--perfect for customers who want to share their holiday gift list with family and friends.
• To access and download your customized registry flyers, please follow these steps: https://www.shoplocal.org/help-center.cfm/692/Download-Your-Customized-Registry-Flyer.
• Want to see how other stores are promoting their registry service in-store? Check out some examples here: https://www.shoplocal.org/help-center.cfm/710/Examples-of-Merchants-Promoting-Their-Registry-Service-In-Store.
   

6. Ensure Official Website is Linked to Your Shop Local Store & Gift Registry Correctly

• Have an official website that is not Shop Local? Make sure customers and potential registrants are able to find your Shop Local Store & Gift Registry by linking properly.
• Your link should lead directly to its respective page and open in the same window. (E.g. "Registry" link on your official website leads to your Gift Registry Home page.)
• For steps on how to add a link (or check your current link), please visit our Help Doc: https://www.shoplocal.org/help-center.cfm/171/For-Merchants:-Add-a-Link-from-Your-Website-to-Your-Shop-Local-Store.
   

7. Add Holiday Keywords to Your Store to Boost SEO

• Google is a powerful tool to boost your online presence. Check your SEO page and add holiday keywords so your store appears higher in Google searches.
• For example, you could add "Holiday Registry (City)," "Holiday Gift Ideas (State)," etc.
• To review your SEO Keywords: Shop Local Store > Management > SEO & Google Help.
   

8. Share a Video of Your Holiday Display

• Create a fun video to share your store's holiday display.
• You've worked hard on your decor for the store--now it's time to show it off!
• Additionally, you can now add videos to news posts on your Home page. For those who visit your store online first, seeing the festive atmosphere may inspire them to come in.
   

9. Grow Your 2027 Sales Pipeline: Share New Incentives for New Wedding Registrants

• It's never too early to be looking ahead--now is the perfect time to offer a new incentive for potential registrants. For example, you may wish to increase your sign-up bonus for a limited time if couples register before the new year.
• To update your incentive amounts for registrants to start a registry (or complete five steps that boost your sales), please click here: https://www.shoplocal.org/help-center.cfm/58/Update-the-Incentive-Amount-Given-to-Registrants-for-Starting-a-New-Registry-or-Completing-the-5-Success-Tips.
   

⭐️ Additional Bonus Tips:

• Send an email featuring holiday registry tips and trending gifts.
• Consider bundling popular items into themed gift sets. E.g., Kitchen Set, Home Bar Bundle, Entertaining Assortment, etc.
• Create last-minute gift ideas for in-store and online promotion.
• Prepare and refresh displays & ads right after the holidays for "Just Engaged?" messaging.