Your Guide to a Cracking Christmas in Maclean

The jacaranda’s are about to bloom, the days are getting longer, and somewhere in the back of a storeroom on River Street, a string of fairy lights is tangled beyond hope. Christmas is coming, Maclean and whether you're pouring coffees, wrapping up the presents the kids will be opening under the tree or doing the books, a little planning now saves a lot of stress in December.

Here's a friendly (but genuinely useful) rundown of what local traders should be thinking about before the tinsel goes up.

For our retail and hospitality crew: let's make this your best Christmas yet

1. Sort your trading hours — and lock them in early

Nothing frustrates a customer more than turning up to a locked door on Boxing Day. Decide your Christmas and New Year hours now, not the week before. Once you've settled on them:

• Post them on your Facebook and Instagram
• Update your Google Business listing (this one gets forgotten every year (don't be that shop)
• Print a sign for the window
• Send them to the Chamber so we can add you to a district-wide trading hours guide we will be posting through December.

2. Get your stock (and your storeroom) sorted

If you're retail, now's the time to think about what sells at Christmas, gift-worthy items, price points under $50, and anything that photographs nicely for a gift guide (hint, hint). If you're hospitality, think about your festive menu, bookings system, and whether your kitchen can handle the silly season rush without everyone quitting on Boxing Day.

A little tip: order your Christmas stock earlier than feels necessary. Suppliers get slammed too, and "it's coming, promise" is not a phrase anyone wants to hear on 23 December if they plan on trading through the early New Year.

3. Deck the halls (even just a little)

You don't need a Bunnings warehouse of decorations,  a wreath on the door, some fairy lights, a bit of tinsel and a "Merry Christmas from [Your Business]" sign go a long way. Maclean already does festive better than most towns (we’ve run a Christmas decorating competition for a number of years now), lean into that local charm rather than competing with the shopping centres.

4. Promote like you mean it

This is the busiest shopping period of the year.

• Post regularly on social media (this is where the Chamber's social media profile and website can help — tag us and we'll help spread the word)
• Consider a simple gift bundle, a "buy local" gift voucher, or a small loyalty perk for regulars
• If you've got window space, use it. A well-dressed shopfront is free advertising to every person walking past

5. Keep an eye on cash flow

Christmas trade can be a blessing and a headache in the same breath. Lots of sales, but also extra stock costs, casual wages, and a slower start to January. A quick chat with your bookkeeper or accountant about cash flow forecasting for December–January is worth ten minutes now to avoid a stressful text late January.

6. Make it easy to say yes

Gift cards, click-and-collect, gift wrapping, later trading hours in the final week. Anything that removes friction for a rushed, slightly panicked Christmas shopper will win you the sale over an online competitor. Local shopping should feel easier than waiting for a parcel that "should" arrive by Christmas.

For our service-based businesses: closing over Christmas? Here's how to do it well

Tradies, consultants, allied health, professional services;  if you're planning to close for a break (and you should, you've earned it), the way you communicate that closure matters just as much as the closure itself. A well-handled "see you in January" builds trust. A silent disappearance does not.

1. Give plenty of notice

Start telling clients about your closure dates from early-to-mid November, not the week before you lock the door. Include:

• Your last day open and your reopening date
• Whether you're checking emails/messages at all during the break
• Who (if anyone) to contact for urgent matters while you're away

2. Say it everywhere, more than once

People don't read every post, so repeat the message across channels:

• A pinned social media post
• An email or SMS to your client list
• An auto-reply on your email and voicemail
• A note on your website or booking page
• A sign on your door if you have physical premises

3. Set clear expectations for reopening

Vague is stressful. "Back sometime in January" invites anxious follow-ups. "We reopen Monday 12 January | Bookings for the New Yeear open now" gives people something solid to plan around, and gets your January diary filling up before you've even switched your lights back on.

4. Have a plan for anything urgent

If you're in a trade or service where things genuinely can't wait (think emergency plumbing, vet care, urgent repairs), let people know who to call instead even if it's just a note pointing them to another local member or an after-hours number. It's a small kindness that customers remember.

5. Finish the year with a thank you

A short, genuine "thank you for supporting us this year, see you in 2027" post costs nothing and means a lot. Customers remember businesses that make them feel valued, not just serviced.

One last thing

However you're trading (or not trading) this Christmas, the Chamber's here to help amplify it;  As members our social reach is reserved for you - tag us in your posts, send us your trading hours, and help us help promote you through the festive period. The more of us pulling together, the better this town looks to every visitor and local doing their Christmas shopping.

Here's to a merry, profitable, only-moderately-chaotic silly season, Maclean

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