We’ve been away for a few months busy with the show, but now that all-important Christmas season is drawing near I thought I’d pose an interesting question… how early should retailers push Christmas stock and does this really benefit businesses, particularly in the current climate?
It seems to get earlier and earlier every year. Don’t get me wrong, I, like any other human being, get a warm, fuzzy feeling when the festive season really kicks in. Give me some mulled wine, a few fairy lights and I’ll be singing ‘White Christmas’ with the best of them, but I don’t generally start that kind of behaviour until mid-December. However I know that for many retailers the Christmas season is one that can boost profits like no other. For many, the Christmas shop and festive concessions can’t open quick enough. Webbs, for example, have built on their successful Christmas portfolio and have opened two special Christmas shops within the West Midlands. I’d love to know your thoughts and experiences regarding Christmas – when is early too early? How important is Christmas stock to boosting your profits and how are consumer trends changing – are we moving away from traditional poinsettia’s and holly wreaths and moving into modern designs and brighter colour palettes? I’d love to hear from you so do get in touch on gleewire@emap.com
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
It probably depends on the products beeing displayed. If it is definitely holiday fare, one may want to wait until the month before Christmas. But if you are showing art work that can be used in a garden (www.hawcreekforge.com) during the Autumn or given as a gift at the holidays, it may be beneficial to diplay it earlier.