We're all frustrated with "Christmas Creep." You know, when we start seeing all things Christmas as early as September. It's just too much! Let's let each holiday stand on it's own so that we can enjoy it, rather than the pressure of Christmas buying choking out everything in between.
That said, Christmas is the bread and butter of everything retail. If you're in retail, you know that all too well. That's the reason for the "creep", to help get the most out of the sales and to lengthen the buying season. The wisdom of that can be debated, but the reality of spending quite a bit of time planning for the Christmas season cannot.
We want sales all year long and should have a yearly marketing plan that we can implement for each holiday that will culminate in the Christmas buying season. Christmas, however, will be your biggest season for sales and deserves the bulk of your attention. So when do you begin focusing on your Christmas sales? Ideally, December 26th of the year before. Yes, that means having a plan for Christmas all year long.
If you're a crafter, you need to start building your inventory by at least the beginning of August so that you have enough to last the season. We all have seasonal obligations, so scrambling to make product during this time is counter-productive to your business, and your mental health. It really can suck the joy out of your business. Having ready-made inventory and focusing on sales is your sweet-spot and where you want to be spending your time and energy.
Shipping Deadlines - If you sell online, you realize that this is important year-round, but during the holiday season you need to be especially mindful of those deadlines. This also shortens your holiday season. Unless you have a buyer who is willing to pay the exorbitant over-night rate (and most aren't), then your holiday sales will end about a week early, so be prepared to start those plans early as well.
Craft Shows - if you present at craft shows, those will start sometime in early October, with some shopping for themselves, decorative items, and of course early Christmas shoppers. Craft show attendees are generally dedicated handmade shoppers who understand the value of handcrafted items, so presentation and quality matter. The cost of table set up has drastically increased, so it is important to have sufficient inventory to recoup those costs and make a significant profit. Some of these shows run well past Thanksgiving, so you can hit the traditional buying season.
Brick & Mortar Retail - if you have items in traditional retail venues, the buying season is extended through December 24th for the truly "last minute" shoppers. While that does provide a few extra days, those sales are far less than the ones that begin with "Black Friday" through about mid-December. You'll want to have plenty of inventory to replenish stock throughout the season. Keeping your inventory fresh is key. Too much and there's no incentive to get it right away, too little and it's just not an attractive display. Traditional retail marketing has it's own strategy, similar to craft show displays, which is decidedly different from online marketing. The take-away is to be prepared to have enough stock to keep the display replenished throughout the season.
So when does Christmas begin? It begins now.
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