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There are many American Thanksgiving traditions, each as fulfilling as the next. If your customers are choosing to dine al fresco this year, we have a few tips to help make their holiday a success. Not every family has a Rockwell Thanksgiving gathered around the dining room table with an oven-roasted turkey as the centerpiece. Some families happily gather on the patio waiting to sink their teeth into freshly grilled turkey while grabbing drinks straight from the cooler.
Prep the Backyard: Backyard holiday hosts will be looking to spruce up their landscaping as well as indoor spaces. Retailers can help by keeping end-of-season garden supplies on hand for refreshing garden beds. Items like mulch, gravel, ground covers, outdoor rugs and supplies for fireplaces and firepits may seem out of season at the end of November but backyard BBQers will thank you.
Secure Pets: Partiers with pets will need to take precautions to prevent their fur babies from escaping as guests come and go from the house and the yard. Suggesting dog runs or crates can help keep pets secure.
Serve Outdoor-Friendly Foods: A well-stocked housewares department can help customers make better choices for holiday menus. Foods on skewers are easier to eat in an outdoor setting, while chafing dishes, crockpots and tin foil pans can make serving food buffet-style easier on the hosts as well as guests. Don’t forget to keep coolers and grills easily accessible to customers, too. For specific products check out the National Hardware Show tailgating award winners below.
Keep Guests Warm After Dark: Even temperate parts of the country get cool when the sun goes down. Portable heaters, chimeneas, DIY kits for fire pits and fireplaces can be items customers seek out prior to an al fresco Thanksgiving.
Provide Proper Lighting: It gets dark early in November, so in addition to heating sources, customers will also need proper lighting. Items like string lights, landscape lighting and flameless candles might be hot commodities. Encourage customers to double check for damage to existing solar lights or other landscape lighting.
Have a Back-up Plan: As always, it’s important to have a plan B for inclement weather. Customers may want pop-up canopy tents on hand, just in case.
