Look, the quiet times are coming. Don’t panic.
Every retail owner in Brisbane knows the feeling. It’s February, the school shoes have been bought, the Christmas credit card bills are hitting letterboxes, and suddenly your shop feels like a library. Or maybe it’s July and everyone’s huddled at home because it’s 'freezing' (which, let’s be honest, is just 17 degrees and a light breeze).
When the foot traffic drops and you’re spending more time dusting shelves than scanning barcodes, it’s easy to spiral. You start looking at the rent, the staff costs, and that pile of stock in the back room that isn’t moving.
But here’s the thing: slow seasons aren't a death sentence. They’re actually the only time you’ll have the headspace to fix the stuff that’s broken in your business.
I’ve seen too many shop owners just sit there waiting for the phone to ring or someone to walk through the door. That’s a mistake. You can’t control the economy, but you can control what you do while you’re waiting for it to pick up.
Let’s talk about how to actually handle the quiet times without losing your mind—or your shirt.
1. Stop hiding behind the counter
When business slows down, most owners do one of two things. They either hide in the back office doing 'admin' (which is usually just scrolling Facebook and worrying) or they stand behind the counter looking desperate.
Neither works.
If you want people to come in, you need to give them a reason. If you’re just sitting there, the shop feels dead. A dead shop is a repellent.
Get out on the floor. Rearrange the displays. Make the place look busy. Change your window display every single week. If someone walks past your shop on Tuesday and sees the same mannequin in the same dress on Friday, they’ve already mentally checked you off their list.
But if things are constantly moving? It looks like stuff is selling. It creates a bit of 'fear of missing out'.
2. Talk to the people who already like you
It is five times harder to find a new customer than it is to get an old one to come back.
When it’s quiet, your best friend is your customer list. If you don’t have one, start today. I’m serious. Every person who buys something should be asked for an email or a phone number.
Why? Because when Tuesday afternoon is dead, you can send out a quick message.
"Hey, we’ve just put out some new stock and I thought you’d like first look."
Or, "We’re doing a flash sale for the next 4 hours just for our regulars."
Don’t overthink it. It doesn't need to be a fancy newsletter. Just a reason to come in. You’d be surprised how many people will pop in just because you reminded them you exist.
If you’re wondering if loyalty program costs are actually worth the effort during a slump, the answer is usually yes—if you do it right. It’s about making people feel like they’re part of a club, not just another transaction.
3. The 'Gift Voucher' trick
Cash flow is the biggest killer during a slow season. You’ve still got to pay the power bill even if nobody buys a toaster.
One of the fastest ways to get cash in the bank right now is to sell future visits.
Run a promotion: "Buy a $100 voucher, get a $20 bonus voucher for yourself."
Yes, you’re giving away a bit of margin. But you’re getting $100 in the till today. Plus, when people come back to spend that voucher, they almost always spend more than the voucher amount.
It’s a win for the customer and a massive win for your bank balance when things are tight.
4. Fix your digital front door
Most people will check you out on their phone before they ever set foot in your shop. If your Google listing says you’re open but you’ve changed your hours, or if your photos look like they were taken on a Nokia 3310 in a dark basement, you’re losing money.
Use the quiet time to: - Update your Google Business Profile. - Take high-quality photos of your best-selling items. - Reply to every single review you’ve ever received (even the annoying ones). - Make sure your website works on phones.
If you don’t get people through the door because your online presence is rubbish, you’ve got no one to blame but yourself. Google is basically the modern-day Yellow Pages, but on steroids. If you aren't showing up when people search for what you sell, you’re invisible.
5. Collaborate, don’t compete
Paddington, Bulimba, Sandgate—wherever you are in Brisbane, you aren't the only shop struggling during a lull.
Go talk to the cafe next door. Or the florist down the street.
"Hey, if you give your customers a 10% discount voucher for my shop, I’ll give my customers a 'buy one get one free' coffee voucher for your place."
It costs you nothing. It builds goodwill. And it sends fresh eyes to your business. Small business owners need to stick together. Amazon isn't going to help you, but the bloke running the butcher shop next door might.
6. Audit your stock (be ruthless)
Slow seasons are for cleaning. Not just the floors, but your inventory.
Every item sitting on your shelf is cash that you can’t spend. If something has been sitting there for six months and hasn't moved, it’s a liability.
Mark it down. Bundle it. Give it away as a 'gift with purchase' for orders over $50.
I know it hurts to lose margin. But $20 in the till is better than a $40 item gathering dust. Use that money to buy something that will sell.
7. Beating the big guys
I hear it all the time: "I can’t compete with Kmart prices" or "People just buy it on Amazon."
True. You can’t beat them on price. So stop trying.
You beat them on things they can’t do. They can’t remember a customer’s name. They can’t give expert advice on which rug matches a specific couch. They can’t offer a cold beer or a sparkling water while someone browses.
When it’s quiet, you have the luxury of time. Use it to provide service so good that people feel guilty buying anywhere else.
If you want to know more about how local shop wins against the giants, it’s all about the human connection. People want to support locals; you just have to give them a reason to choose you over a soulless app.
8. Events and 'VIP' nights
If people aren't coming in naturally, throw a party.
It doesn't have to be Project X. Just a Thursday night from 6 pm to 8 pm. Put on some cheese, some cheap bubbly, and invite your top 20 customers.
Tell them it’s an exclusive 'New Season' preview.
People love feeling special. They’ll come for the free drink and stay to buy the jacket they’ve been eyeing off. Even if you only sell three things, you’ve made more money than if you’d closed at 5 pm and gone home to watch the footy.
9. Watch the pennies
You’d be amazed how much money leaks out of a small business.
When things are booming, we don't notice the $50 a month for software we don't use, or the slightly overpriced packaging. When things are slow, those leaks become floods.
Go through your bank statement. Cancel the rubbish. Negotiate with your suppliers. Ask for a better rate on your merchant fees.
Every dollar you save is a dollar you don’t have to work for.
10. Don’t cut your marketing to zero
This is the biggest mistake I see. Business gets quiet, so the owner cuts the one thing that brings people in.
It’s like trying to save fuel by turning off the engine while you’re driving uphill. You’ll stop eventually, and it’s going to be a lot harder to get moving again.
Instead of cutting the budget, spend it smarter. Stop the broad 'brand' stuff and focus on 'direct response'. That means ads that say: "Click here to get this deal" or "Show this post in-store for a free gift."
You need to see a return on every cent you spend when times are lean.
The Bottom Line
Slow seasons are part of the game. They suck, but they aren't permanent.
The shops that survive—and actually grow—are the ones that don't just 'wait it out'. They’re the ones that get proactive. They clean the shop, they talk to their customers, they fix their websites, and they hustle.
You’ve got this. Just stop staring at the door and start making some noise.
If you’re feeling stuck and want a second pair of eyes on your shop’s marketing, give us a shout at Local Marketing Group. We’ll tell you straight what’s working and what’s a waste of your hard-earned cash.