Summer might feel like a slower season for some business owners. If you’re not in travel and tourism—or another industry that peaks in the summer—your business might fall into this category. But it’s actually a great time to refocus and build momentum. Whether you’re in retail, e-commerce or another industry, the quieter months create space to attract customers in creative ways and prepare for a strong fall.
Summer Strategy: Attracting Customers
With the right strategy, you can stay top of mind and keep customers coming back. Here’s how product-based businesses make the most of the summer season and stay ahead. Even if your business follows a different model, many of these strategies can be adapted to fit your unique needs and help you maximize seasonal opportunities.
1. Seasonal Promotions & Sales
- Summer Clearance Sales: Move spring inventory and seasonal items with discounts.
- Themed Promotions: Tie into holidays like Memorial Day, 4th of July or Back-to-School deals.
- Limited-Time Offers: Use flash sales and bundles to create urgency during slower traffic months.
2. Focus on Seasonal Content
- Email & Social Campaigns: Promote summer needs like travel gear, lightweight clothing and outdoor essentials. Highlight products made with breathable fabrics, cooling ingredients or tropical-inspired designs to connect with summer shoppers.
- Campaigns featuring User Generated Content (UCG): Encourage customers to share summer lifestyle photos using your products (great for social proof and to reach new customers).
3. Mobile Shopping & Customer Loyalty Strategies
- Geo-targeted Ads and SMS Offers: Use location-based marketing to connect with nearby customers, which is especially effective for mobile shoppers and omnichannel retailers.
- Summer-exclusive Incentives & Referral Rewards: Provide special seasonal promotions to keep current customers engaged and encourage them to refer new clients.
- Early Access to Fall Launches or Sales: Reward loyalty program members and email newsletter subscribers with exclusive previews and early shopping opportunities.
One Arizona Entrepreneur Stays Ahead with Creativity
Outdoor market vendors also need to get creative during the summer months as they try to keep their products, customers, and themselves cool, while attracting new clients. The extreme temperatures can damage fresh produce and handmade goods while also hurting vendor morale and customer turnout. Many vendors adapt by setting up for maximum shade and airflow, showing up early to grab the best spots, and many markets even shift their hours to early morning or evening to beat the worst heat. These changes help keep people coming and make the whole experience safer and more comfortable for everyone.
This season, one Arizona entrepreneur is showing how creative marketing can keep a business moving while under the summer sun. Anthony (Ant) Garza, founder of Fuel Y’all Coffee, a mobile coffee truck, shares how promoting his mobile coffee studio is essential for keeping the business thriving.
Ant shared, “We’re showcasing refreshing frozen drinks on social media and offering summer specials and loyalty discounts. Several local swim meets will also keep us busy.
Mornings are great for serving coffee, and as the day heats up, we shift to hydrating beverages and our full frozen drink menu. We’ve created a comfortable atmosphere with fans and misters to help customers stay cool.
I’ve collaborated with other vendors for themed nights and combo deals to enhance the experience. Partnering with someone who serves ice cream and sundaes has really boosted the event’s appeal. Additionally, I’m running social media contests that encourage customers to share their experiences with our drinks for a chance to win free items, helping to increase both engagement and brand visibility.
Finally, I’ve established partnerships with local businesses like gyms and outdoor fitness groups to offer exclusive discounts to their members and hosts.
By implementing these strategies, we’re effectively promoting our mobile coffee studio and keeping customers coming back all summer long because no matter the season, people always want coffee!”
Outdoor markets thrive on community, and summer is no exception. Fuel Y’all’s story is a reminder that no matter the temperature, the right marketing strategy can turn up the heat on your overall success and drive sales.
Fall Preparation Strategy: Planning for Peak Season
Summer is also a time to plan, and smart businesses use this typically slower season to start gearing up for fall. Start strategizing now to ensure you’re ready to meet demand, launch new campaigns and make the most of the busy season. To stay ahead, here are key steps to help you prepare for a successful transition into fall.
1. Inventory & Supply Chain Management
- Analyze summer performance to forecast fall demand.
- Pre-order top SKUs for holidays and Black Friday/Cyber Monday.
- Work with suppliers early to avoid Q4 delays.
2. Website & Tech Readiness
- Audit site performance, especially mobile load speed.
- Test checkout flow and update payment options.
- Prepare for higher volume by reviewing customer service systems, fulfillment processes and returns workflows.
3. Early Campaign Planning
- Finalize creative for fall launches, holiday campaigns and ad calendars.
- Begin warming up your audience with sneak peeks or waitlists for fall/winter collections.
- Identify and reward high-value customers before year-end.
Weathering Summer Together
Summer might bring slower foot and online traffic for some, but it can also be the perfect window for planning and creative problem-solving. Smart business owners know that quieter seasons offer valuable time to reset and map out their next big moves for fall and beyond.
At the same time, staying visible and engaged with your customers is key. Whether it’s launching a limited-time offer, joining local events or showing up consistently on social media, keeping your brand active builds momentum that carries into the busier months.
Entrepreneurs like Anthony Garza prove that a mix of creative vision and smart strategy can keep sales strong, even in the slow season. By staying flexible and connected to your community, your business can turn seasonal challenges into real opportunities for growth.
Start planning for what’s next in your business with this free course: How can I get started with digital marketing for my business? Plus, stay connected over the summer with a supportive entrepreneur community at various PBIS collaborative spaces across the Valley.
