As the
holiday season draws to a close now is the time to take a deep breath and relax
but not for too long. Shopping after the holiday season has become as much of a
tradition as black Friday and the preholiday rush. People armed with receipts and gift cards are
trying to cash out on those ugly sweaters they got and finally get what they really
wanted for the holidays. So what should you expect from the start of 2017? How
do you prepare and what sort of things do you need to be aware of happening in
the new year?
- The light may be turning yellow but…-
Don’t expect November or December numbers but they are by no means
stopping. Now is a good time to evaluate your current inventory and supplement
it incrementally.
- Shipping rates are going up- Rate increases from all the major
carriers are coming down the pipeline in 2017 expect to see an average of 3-4%
increase in costs by the end of January.
- Start pepping for spring– Yes its January but that does not
stop consumers from starting to stock up on spring fashions early. Pay
particular attention to categories like active wear and swimwear. January is
prime time for selling sports and active wear with so many people making those
new year’s resolutions to stay healthy.
- Weather can affect your sales– if you are an online retailer well
then hope for cold weather and snow because online sales are positively
affected by inclement weather. Inclement weather can add a 10-12% increase to
your sales according to several studies tracking consumer behavior. Own a brick
and mortar retail store? Well then the exact opposite is true, temperature also
plays a big role unseasonably warm weather can greatly improve sales to brick
and mortar retailers.
- Explore your options– now that things have calmed down a bit it’s a good time to plan out
those long term objectives you may have been putting on the back burner during
the holiday rush. Been planning on developing your own website or perhaps
exploring other sales channels? Now is the time to get this done and start up
some new revenue streams.