Seasonal Slowdown Article: Call for Responses!

[Former_Member]

Hi sellers,

Summer has rolled in with gusto and the month of July is almost upon us. This time of the year, when the Northern Hemisphere is out enjoying warm temps, some sellers notice a decrease in the number of views and sales in their shops. This seasonal slowdown is well known in the retail world and its implications are felt both on and offline. Meanwhile, this is a great time to start planning for the holidays. Start creating holiday stock, and planning your packaging and promotion. They will be here before you know it!

I’m drafting a community sourced blog article for Etsy’s Seller Handbook about this topic and I’d like to hear from you. As a seller how do you use your seasonal slowdown to ramp up and get prepared for the holiday season? Based on your experience, what tips and advice do you have for other sellers? Use these questions as a guide when crafting your response:

-Press and promotional opportunities. Do you keep holiday items in your shop year round? If not, when do you start adding holiday merchandise to your shops? Has a member of the press (remember they’re now in holiday mode) ever found you during the offseason?
-Products and inventory. How do you create more inventory during your slow season? When do you ramp up production to prepare for the holidays?
-Marketing and sales. How do you use this time to flesh out your marketing plan? What about Christmas in July?
-What NOT to do. What would you recommend sellers SHOULDN’T do during slower times (hint, grossly discount all of your products).

As with all of our community sourced articles, I’ll quote our favorite advice and will link back to your shop in the process.

Thanks for your insight!

[Former_Member]

Hi everyone,

This is my first year on Etsy (so excited to be part of this wonderful community!) and I really have not yet had a chance to sell during the holidays. Nonetheless, I am definitely looking forward to it!

Since my shop is new and business is slow anyway, I take advantage of this by focusing on the creative part of the business and spend most of the time making things. In thinking ahead for the seasonal and holiday items, I refer to the color/fashion trends and try to incorporate them as much as I can into my designs (the trends are available two years ahead, and it is so fun!). I also try to make sure I maintain enough inventory in classic colors and styles. My number one goal for the holidays, however, is to make sure my shop is stocked, as I do have much of my inventory still in need of photographing and listing.

I am looking forward to hearing from others and to reading the article, Nickey. The past ones have been so helpful! LOVE the Seller Handbook -- what an incredible resource!

:)

[ModernSwitch]

I use my slow times to get organized. I find it's a great time to go through my supplies, to see what I need to stock up more on, or what I need to get rid of.

I have 3 huge antique dressers that I store my fabric in, and it's amazing going through them and finding what little fabric treasures I may have missed. Sometimes I buy fabric through out the year intending to use it for different seasons and it gets buried in my collection and I forget all about it.

Other times I buy too much fabric and find it doesn't sell as well as I though it would for my light switch covers ...so it's time to measure, photograph and throw it in my shop for another Etsy seller to buy and treasure.

Last year in my slow season I changed my entire way I store my items so I can quickly find them, and package them for shipping. This year I changed up my packaging design, so that when I pull my orders out, they are ready to ship, which will help with my processing time, so I am focusing on repackaging all of my older inventory to be ready for the holiday season.

[Former_Member]

I am a brand new shop and haven't been on Etsy for a full year yet. I feel like I was just getting going when all the sudden things completely dropped off. I have been spending the last month focusing on wholesale opportunities, setting up in a local all handmade consignment shop, and attending festivals/ craft fairs.
I am currently working on a couple of halloween items that are a lot of fun. Also, I have been experimenting with new fabrics, more heavy duty upholstery fabrics such as faux leather and vinyl. I am very excited to start listing my fall/winter collection in late July and early August!

[Former_Member]

I am a newbie on ETSY having just offically opened my shop in April but I have been in the jewelry business for over 10 years and the slow months (summer, in this case) are the perfect times to re-organize your atelier space making sure you have all the supplies and packaging ready for the eventual rise in sales.

I work alot with trend boards. Right now, I'm finalizing my styles, colors and looks for Fall/Winter. It's also the ideal time to prepare a fall campaign and Holiday campaign (fresh images) with your new products. I'm setting up a photoshoot date giving me the incentive to push harder and finish my collection! JULY is work, work, work when it's play, play, play for everyone else!!!! But, it's something we love, right? So it's okay!

So excited for Fall!!!! Not the weather tho....;( peace.

[Former_Member]

Also new to Etsy this year. I am going to watch this thread and your blog for info. I am waiting for my slow down time, I really want the time to create new things. This month rather than being slow has been my highest selling month both by order count and revenue. So I am thinking maybe the slow month will be next month, not sure. But I'd love to start stocking up.

[Former_Member]

When I first started the slow down freaked me out. I was like...what? Where did all the people's go?!

Now, it is a huge part of my annual plan and I really enjoy the time to breathe.

I just finished completely overhauling my workshop and office. A project I have been wanting to do for a while but could never even consider in the busy season. So it was top of my to do list when the slow down hit. And now I am so excited about my workspace again!

One thing I do all busy season is keep a notebook of ideas. As a creative type and since I design most of my own patterns, the ideas are always coming. But in busy season I do not really have time to flesh them out and really play with new designs. So I keep a notebook for ideas, articles or photos that inspire me, a thinking scrapbook kind of.

Then when the slow down comes I take it out and start playing around to develop those ideas. I Take time to try out new patterns and work out the kinks. Play with new fibers. It is really when crochet is more for me than the business in a way. :) So far I have 2 new designs ready to go and be launched for fall/winter.

And building inventory is essential or I would never make it through busy season. I take a look at my sales stats and history of my shop to see what may need more inventory and look at upcoming trends to select new colors to offer. This is really my prep time so I am still very busy but more behind the scenes busy.

Also I do a lot of research and marketing. Now is when writers and blogs and fashion peeps are getting ready for fall and early winter editorials. So I start communicating with them, pitching, sending samples for consideration if applicable. All marketing that pays off down the road.

My "down time" has become my busy time.

My biggest advice to sellers would be freak out less and do more when the slow down hits. Take this time to maybe work on new product, build inventory of your biggest selling items, research places to submit your work. Just because customers aren't buying now does not mean you should also slow down. This is time to get your house in order and ramp up.




I also started working on intnational expansion this year and am seeing more southern hemisphere sales as a result. That is a nice little bonus!

[hooknsaw]

This will be our 2nd holiday season with etsy. We are using the slow time to create new designs and stock up on the items that sold well last year. We were much busier than we anticipated last Christmas, and were lucky we had ordered shipping supplies in bulk to save money. Our Holiday type items don't really sell well, but they generate a lot of traffic to our shop, so we will renew those items in August. I strongly suggest that new shops join the Holiday Boot camp (when the time comes). The information and active participation in the boot camp is very helpful! As for the CIJ, we have decided to use the slow time for a much needed vacation!

[Former_Member]

Oh and one more thing on advice.... Do NOT do big summer discounts and sales. I learned this the hard way.

You may move some inventory but at what cost? Will you pick up a new customer? Probably not because if you drastically rice your prices then how do you know they will pay full price? Also, you are reducing the value of your work.

My biggest advice is not to let the slow down rattle you. Stick to your business plan for your shop. There are ebs and flows to retail including online shops and marketplaces like Etsy. Take this time to regroup, research and recharge your batteries. But don't react to the slow down in a way that is not in line with your overall goals.

[Former_Member]

I'm not having a slowdown! I have two craft markets in July, and one in August. This is also the time of year to apply for holiday shows. I'm continuing working on my usual items, and adding holiday ones, too. I'd love to do a Christmas in July sale, as I did so well on Cyber Monday, but I'm worried about my inventory disappearing before the craft shows.

[Former_Member]

I listed my first Christmas ornaments a few days ago, and I will be making lots more of all different styles close to the end of summer. Since I really enjoy making all my stuff, even when I don't have sales, I sew and crochet like crazy. Hoping this Christmas is really busy in my shop, though! It will be only my second one, last year was my first and I only had one sale. I will be looking at lots of advice here, for sure!

[letterhappy]

-Press and promotional opportunities. Do you keep holiday items in your shop year round? If not, when do you start adding holiday merchandise to your shops? Has a member of the press (remember they’re now in holiday mode) ever found you during the offseason?

i don't keep holiday items in my shop year round, but i do start adding them in july. press {especially print} needs about 4-6 months lead time to prepare their articles, so i like to have my holiday items available just in case they're looking! i've never actually been found by the press during the summer months, but i have had several customers purchase christmas cards from me as early as july.

-Products and inventory. How do you create more inventory during your slow season? When do you ramp up production to prepare for the holidays?

i use the summer months as an opportunity to spend time designing my products for the upcoming holiday season. {christmas, especially, but even as far in advance as valentine's day!} the design part of my process is the most time-intensive, so while my packaging time is less {because of less orders}, i use that valuable time to brainstorm, create prototypes, and photograph my items for future listings.

-Marketing and sales. How do you use this time to flesh out your marketing plan? What about Christmas in July?

christmas in july is an amazing opportunity to not only offer your customers a little discount, but to give them a preview of your holiday line. traffic is historically better during this 10-day period, so why not show them everything you have to offer?

-What NOT to do. What would you recommend sellers SHOULDN’T do during slower times (hint, grossly discount all of your products).

DON'T GIVE UP. it's easy to get in the mindset of "i'm not selling anything, so why should i continue to list?" if anything, you should be trying even harder to drive traffic to your shop and your listings. go through and revamp your tags, titles, and descriptions - make sure they're seasonally correct and on trend.

[hooknsaw]

Midwest Crochet from crochetconcepts says
Oh and one more thing on advice.... Do NOT do big summer discounts and sales. I learned this the hard way.

You may move some inventory but at what cost? Will you pick up a new customer? Probably not because if you drastically rice your prices then how do you know they will pay full price? Also, you are reducing the value of your work.

My biggest advice is not to let the slow down rattle you. Stick to your business plan for your shop. There are ebs and flows to retail including online shops and marketplaces like Etsy. Take this time to regroup, research and recharge your batteries. But don't react to the slow down in a way that is not in line with your overall goals.
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This! I feel if you run sales, you will attract customers that will wait for your next sale. We had a big slow down in March and actually increased some of our prices and added some new items. Our sales were much better in April and May at the higher prices!

[Former_Member]

Exactly! I did the something Lisa. When "season" ended I tout about my prices and reviewed sales and costs. And then the pricing for profit workshop gave me food for thought.

I increased in May also and already seeing good result!

[ContempoJewelry]

When an area of my business is slow, like my etsy shop, I focus on finding a new way to promote my shop and generate sales. Art + craft shows, farmer's markets and trade shows are a great way to make income and promote your etsy shop.

- Shows give us (sellers) an opportunity to do market research. We can test new products and see consumers response to them. We can see first hand what is working and what is not working.

- Shows give us a chance to build new relationships with other vendors and artists, galleries and boutiques and customers. These new relationships can turn into new wholesale accounts, collaborations and long term customers.

- Shows, events and parties give us an opportunity to pass out literature and business cards. Consumers might not buy right away, but if you make a good impression, hopefully they will come to our etsy shop when they need a gift or when they have extra money to buy something for themselves.

[heartsabustin]

I have relisted my Halloween items in this shop, and I've started planning and making items for my soap shop for fall and winter. I make new items, retag for Christmas in July, contemplate what discount I'll give for CIJ. I'll start stocking up on shipping materials now, too - envelopes, boxes, stuffing, wrapping, plastic baggies, etc.

Do I fret a tad? Sure, we all do - but I try not to do it for long, and I try really hard to counter my summer time anxieties by doing rather than worrying.

[Former_Member]

Great advice Midwest, I have been much more successful since I stopped discounting and raised my prices, now I canr price anywhere near what the pricing formulas say but I am also not giving my items away anymore. :)

[Former_Member]

I have only been an active seller on etsy for several months, so this is my first summer slump and will also be my first holiday season (which I am super excited for!) I take time to read articles and team postings and watch on-line labs everyday, so as a newbie I have discovered and accessed the abundance of information and good tips about what to do during these annual slumps for experienced sellers and I have taken their advice to heart...

As a maker of Rag Dolls for children, I anticipate that the holiday gift giving season will be my most successful time of the year. Here is what I am doing:

1. Building stock! I have set a weekly production goal and am sticking with it.
2. Connecting with blogs. Had one successful feature article and giveaway (LemondropVintageShop) and have been offered another on a popular mommy blog that will feature in September.
3. Got a consignment order for an on-line holiday gift boutique for a fabulous new children's clothing design business (OneJackson)
4. Constantly reworking and re-evaluating my shop... rewriting script, retaking photos... my shop is evolving daily, which is a fun process, but I am looking forward to finally being satisfied with how it reads and looks. Does that ever happen?
5. I use a lot of salvaged and vintage textiles so this is the perfect time of year to scour yard sales and estate sales for great deals on my supplies.
6. BUILD STOCK!

Important to add also perhaps, maybe for some folks... take a break and get outside, away from the studio, away from the computer!

As a newbie, I really appreciate the wisdom that is shared in the etsy community! So supportive and encouraging. It's lovely, and I am looking forward to the article! Thanks!

[Former_Member · Accepted solution]

Thanks for sharing, KerriBren and heartsabustin! Remember that adding Halloween and seasonal items now is smart as members of the press are often creating their holiday issues now. What's that mean? They are searching for those offseason items and if you don't have yours listed you could miss out on a great promotional opportunity over the holiday season.

Does anyone else keep holiday and seasonal items in the back of their shops during the offseason?

[Former_Member · Accepted solution]

crochetconcepts says:

Oh and one more thing on advice.... Do NOT do big summer discounts and sales. I learned this the hard way.

You may move some inventory but at what cost? Will you pick up a new customer? Probably not because if you drastically raise your prices then how do you know they will pay full price? Also, you are reducing the value of your work.

+++

I think this is a really great point. Before deciding to partake in the CIJ sales or host a sale of your own, first consider the ramifications that this can have on your business. Here's one of my favorite threads from daniellexo where she talks a bit more in depth about this:

https://www.etsy.com/teams/5002/etsy-success/discuss/6796368/

Thanks everyone for your thoughts so far!

[Former_Member]

I have kept my set of 3 neutral bunnies along with other spring items. they were so popular during the Easter season & I've been amazed to see that they still get multiple daily hits & even included in current treasuries. :)

[heartsabustin]

I've got some "off season" scents in the back of SouthernTwistedSoaps right now, too. Those will be relisted in another couple of months when I start gearing back up for fall and Christmas sales.

[ModernSwitch]

I actually just went through and re-photographed all of my old Christmas stock this month (one of my goals for June), with about half of my expired listings renewed in the last week or 2 with new pictures.

Normally I keep everything up year round, however I really feel like I nailed it with my photography and now I'm slightly embarrassed to keep my items with old pictures in my shop.

I actually have a years worth of fee's factored in to the price of my items...it's only 60 cents to keep your listing up year round so why not? Which actually gives me a bit of overage when something sells and has been listed less than 4 months.

As for Halloween...it's not really a target market for me. However I am finding that people are really enjoying my Frankenstein light switch cover, so I don't mind keeping up something that sells year round. I'll probably go ahead and add in a few more 'Halloween' things in the next week or so just to see.

As for sales. I think rather then planning little sales all over the place, you should just focus on one big sale. For me I focus on the Black Friday 'holiday' weekend. Gives you something to look forward too, and gives you time to accurately plan and promote. People are expecting sales that weekend, so why not give them what they want?

[Former_Member]

This is my second year in business, and I've decided to shift my niche more toward geekery. So, I'm taking advantage of the lull to give my store, website, and marketing an extreme makeover.

I am taking new photos, reworking titles, tags, and descriptions, and I'm working on getting new banners, both physical and digital. I've more than doubled my inventory with eight new science fiction and fantasy inspired original fragrances, adding party and wedding favors, and reworking my gift sets, so I am getting those listed a few a week. I'm also merging my store and writing blogs with my mommy blog, working with a local artist to get cover art done for my next book, and submitting samples of my soaps for review on other blogs.

There aren't many craft fairs here in the summer either because the heat is horrible, but there are several in the spring and fall. I'm securing my booths for those and working on my displays and inventory now. I'm making a batch of soap, lotion, aftershave, or the soaks most days. Every evening I spend either felting or crocheting snuggled up with my husband and children. True, a large part of it is made up of Christmas presents for my family, but I'll be adding photos of what I am making to my portfolio as well as adding the odd piece to inventory.

I've also started stocking up on packaging and shipping materials. They take longer to arrive the closer you get to the holidays, so it's always a good idea to stock up now before the rush on supplies hits in late October.

[CustomBrickTiles]

I typically experience a slowdown during the summer months, but I cherish the change in pace! Instead of busily filling orders, I can take the time to develop new products, and even brainstorm new product lines. I honestly believe that it's the downtime during the summer that allows me to get really creative and recharge for the rest of the year!

I also take the time to enhance my shop in other ways (that I may not have the time for during busier months). Is there a product that could use a fresher photo? Have you been meaning to add some spicier intro lines to your listings? Summer's a great time to do those things you've been meaning to do all year long... shop for a new photography backdrop, brainstorm about different tags and tidy up your listings! Maybe it's even a great chance to go back through the forum threads for juicy tips you may have missed.

Most importantly, I don't stress out! Slower sales don't mean that my shop is headed for disaster... it's just a natural lull that's part of the annual cycle. Enjoy your breathing room!