This week I met with some business owners, one of which was expressing his displeasure with the rush to Christmas. It seems that each year the gift wrapping and holiday sales start earlier and earlier.
It used to be that retailers would run a Christmas in July sale, because we had several months to wait until the real Christmas shopping season. Perhaps in a few more years, it will be all one blur.
Then there is all the talk about if it is going to be a good Christmas for retailers, there's the age old thinking that retailer's make all their profit during the Christmas season and they struggle the rest of the year. Some say this is why the season starts earlier each year, so the retailers can start making money sooner. And once one retailer kicks off the season in October (or September?), everyone else feels like the better jump on or be left out.
In my family, we waited until after December 11th to put up the Christmas decorations since my birthday was on the 11th. I knew that whatever I didn't get for my birthday, I'd get another chance in 2 weeks! Also my Dad refused to patronize those stores that kept pushing things up on the calender. "Merchant's Holiday's", he called them.
Which brings me back to the first paragraph. When should Christmas shopping season begin? And how do you as a retailer keep things on your time table?
Here's a few suggestions:
- Develop your own promotional schedule. If you want to wait until the day after Thanksgiving to role out the Christmas goodies, then do it!
- Communicate with your customers what you are doing. Let them know that you will have the products they want for Halloween in October, Thanksgiving in November and Christmas after Thanksgiving.
- Create a calender for your customers, debut and celebrate the transitions from one holiday season to the next with an open house.
Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments, and have a Happy Thanksgiving next week. Sphere: Related Content
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