Re: Questions About Sales and how it cycles throug...

CharmCityOutfitters · ‎01-16-2016

So I am not surprised that sales dropped significantly right after Christmas but I was wondering if there is a pattern of selling throughout the year? Anyone who has some experience have any imput? Should we expect to see an increase as Valentines Day draws closer? I would guess that different holidays are also more profitable for shops depending on what they sell. I am hoping that Father's Day will be a good holiday for me since I sell Men's Ties! Let's brainstorm...on how we might capitalize sale trends through out the year.

ByCMO · ‎01-19-2016

I hear you…Etsy did an article Planning for the Wholesale Buying Calendar showing retail shop owners buying schedule. It is very interesting and it talks about how they manage the purchases for their store. If you think your shop as a retail store then you may apply their suggestions. Below are some of the pointer:

January: At the beginning of the year, many retail buyers start preparing for Valentine’s day (if they haven’t already) by stocking their shelves with items likely to perform well with Valentine’s shoppers. “On New Year’s Day, I’m placing orders for the jewelry and cards I want in by February 1,” says John.

Early Spring: John’s next biggest purchasing period is from mid-March to early April, when he looks for gifts for “moms, dads and grads.” He tries to group purchases for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and graduation season together, since he typically buys in small quantities for each of these holidays.

Late Spring: By the beginning of May, many independent retail buyers like John get busy ordering products for the summer. They focus their search on seasonal goods that celebrate the outdoors, beautiful weather, and, in some cases, the tourism that comes with the warmer months.

Late Summer/Fall: As with nearly all retail businesses, the months leading up to Christmas are the busiest time for independent boutiques. Wholesale buying for these products may start as early as August, with the bulk of orders placed in September and early October.

Late Fall: Some retailers continue placing holiday orders through the fall months. For example, John places his holiday orders in two stages. “Once I see what sells well from that first round of orders ahead of the holidays, I’ll place re-orders in early November,” he explains.

I think that they have a good system in place. The issue is me following the recommendations LOL :-)

Here is the link: https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/planning-for-the-wholesale-buying/37351657368

CharmCityOutfitters · ‎01-20-2016

Thanks for the information that is a good schedule guideline

Former_Member · ‎01-20-2016

I'm ahead of the game this January in sales, compared to last January. So far, it's slight ($30 more), but the month isn't over yet. I have definitely seen more foot traffic (in views/etc.) since I changed all of my headings/keywords/etc. back in the Fall. But, in the past, I have a decent (for me) Jan and Feb, then sales usually drop off in March, but pick back up in April, May, June as people are attending baby showers. My late summers are usually slow, and then things pick back up for me in the fall. I'm just trying to add more product to the store, at different price points, to try and rope in any kind of buyer.