How To Take Advantage of Seasonal Sales Patterns

There are highs and lows in your sales throughout the year. The seasons affect consumer confidence and sales go up or down, accordingly.

Here are a few dates, feasts and factors to take on board:

- Christmas & New Year
- Tax return deadline 31st January
- End of tax year 4th April
- Easter
- May Bank Holidays
- Schools term holidays
- August Bank Holiday
- Halloween
- Government budget or economic data release (US, UK, China)
- Any significant political or economic event
- Spring, Summer, Autumn & Winter and associated weather
- The peculiarities of your own niche

The above will increase or decrease your sales, accordingly. There are times and tides in the affairs of men. We are herd animals and not half as independent-minded as we think we are. The old saying in the City was "sell in May and go away".

This was because the summer meant holidays so the 'players' tended to go off for long breaks, so there was less serious business being done generally. Parliament was in recess, so newspapers had to fill their papers with less serious news, hence the origin of the phrase "the silly season". Sheep riding bicycles replaced politicians making speeches.

You will notice this effect yourself if you've been paying attention. Some days you sell big and some days you slump. So here's tip number 1:

1. Prepare during the off-season for the on-season

Always be marketing. If sales are slow then that's the time to research. First, call around and see if everyone else in your niche is feeling the pain. If they are, then go to work.

- Get out of your rut and do some reading.
- Attend to tasks you've been putting off.
- Smarten up your presentation.
- Encourage staff to take holidays during this time.
- Figure out what pitches you'll use during the next heavy sales period to maximise your gains.
- Develop new products or ways of selling the old to extend your sales season.

2. Extend your product range

Snowshoes have a limited period when they are in demand. Warm clothing can be sold for 6 months of the year, depending on where you are based.

3. Set up your marketing in advance

Have a plan: You will put advertisement a., in medium b., at time c., with offer d., cleverly phrased.

You can be sure more experienced firms will be ready to go. The bigger ones will have hired smart-alecks fresh from college to come up with some funny tie-in to the season. But beware! Don't be corny! You may come off as desperate, or just dull.

4. Cut costs

If there are only piddling sales in August, why are you staying open? Keep the shop on life support, or shut it down entirely. Italian shops in London sometimes shut down for this month, because it's traditional in Italy, and it doesn't affect their business. The owners absolutely want the time off and are happy to go away!

5. Discount in a slump

Generate more sales during the 'down' period by offering 2-for-1 deals and discounts.

6. Go for a walk and a snoop around

You can't tell what's happening in the wider world if your world is a business unit on an industrial estate. Going to markets, walking the high street, reading some free local newspapers taking the train to somewhere new will feed your sub-conscious with a sense of how the nation is doing generally and what Joe Public is buying this week.


- Checkout the offers section of our website for ideas. Take me there

- We also have a custom affiliate program to encourage year round referrals. Take me there


Email us if you need any advice and thank you for reading our blog.


All blogs are written by our in-house staff.