How important are post – Christmas sales to a business’ success?

How important are post – Christmas sales to a business’ success?

Although pre – Christmas sales are extremely important to guarantee success, it’s important that businesses don’t overlook the importance of post-Christmas sales. Previous years have highlighted that they can be crucial for profit margins and old stock clearances. Of course, pre-Christmas will take the focus in most marketing plans, but you’d be wrong to ignore the post-Christmas market. It’s important to correctly plan any sales to make sure you fully benefit from the opportunity that’s presented.

With Christmas just round the corner, the annual festivities have begun. Greggs have released their festive bake, the Coca Cola truck has graced our TV screens and Mariah Carey will be bellowing out those well-known lyrics and Michael Bublé will be lining up his re-appearance. But, while we took advantage of Black Friday deals to finish our Christmas shopping, November 26th(Cyber Monday) was also revealed as being one of the biggest days for retailers.

The Boxing Day rush!

With certain prices cut by up to 92%, hitting the Boxing Day sales has become a tradition for many. This firm favourite in the shopping calendar is used by retailers as a way to clear their old stock, and shoppers have now made these sales a tradition. Last year saw over 23 million shoppers hunt for deals on Boxing Day – what a result! You can only imagine the amount of sales which were brought in. In fact, last year, the post-Christmas sales of £11 billion made December Britain’s biggest spending month to date!

Certain retailers resist the urge to follow suit and don’t reduce their products for a sale until Boxing Day, bringing crowds flocking to their stores the day after Christmas.

With stores struggling due to an increased online presence, last year’s high street sales were down by 4.5% compared to the previous year. Industries that were hit the hardest were hardware and technology stores were hit the hardest, according to reports. But those companies with a strong online presence, can sweep up sales and really enhance their profit margins encouraging many available opportunities.

Beat the January blues with January sales!

Retail therapy is ideal for many, especially on well-known days such as ‘Blue Monday’! Blue Monday is officially the most depressing day of the year and typically falls on the third Monday in January. For retailers and local shops, sales may dwindle in the early months of the year following the Christmas holiday shopping hangover. However, businesses have the chance to really cash in during January.

One industry that particularly booms during January, are used car dealerships. While deals must entice potential buyers to spend, it can help clear stock before the looming plate change in March. Dealers make the most money if they sell a new model, so it makes sense for them to clear potentially ‘old’ stock before the new registrations and models hit the forecourt.

Another industry that benefits from January sales is the fitness sector. The most common New Year’s resolutions are to eat better, exercise more and spend less money. This is where fitness establishments can gain, by offering impressive January sales to entice new customers to sign up.

How do you differ from competitors?

Fashion retailer River Island who offer a variety of dresses are an example of this and were praised in January for offering speedier deliveries. This gave them the edge over their competitors, especially during a time of the year in which many of the public would be watching their finances. They also slashed the prices of their dresses range in the post-Christmas sale earlier this year, giving them a significant boost to sales in the first quarter of 2018.

It’s very important that you plan ahead and organise post – Christmas sales in advance. Post-Christmas sales can allow you to start afresh when your new cargo comes along.

Sources

https://www.inc.com/dan-breeden/mark-your-calendars-these-are-most-important-sales-dates-in-2018.html

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/dec/26/boxing-day-sales-bargain-hunters-out-in-force-across-uk

https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/5211361/boxing-day-2017-sales-queues-latest-updates/

https://www.selflender.com/blog/why-january-is-the-best-time-of-the-year-to-buy-a-new-car

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/asos-sales-same-day-delivery-christmas-latest-performance-a8176996.html

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