We tend to think of this as the time version of ‘no-man’s land’. Your belly is full of turkey, stuffing and roast potatoes, you don’t plan on moving from your cosy armchair, but your business is still there and your sales need to keep afloat! In the e-commerce world, there tends to be a spike in holiday sales (of course) but then after Christmas and heading into January the sales tend to plummet. This shouldn’t be a disaster due to the Christmas spike, but ideally you want to be keeping your sales high after this peak. So, how can you ensure that you keep selling your products whilst everyone’s bellies are stuffed and wallets are sparse?
Don’t Wait to Offer Sales
Most companies wait until the New Year to start their sales – aka January Sales – but many are now getting started straight away after Christmas. Chances are that your company has already offered Christmas promotions and deals, so just do that all over again! You could do a clearance of your winter items (which in January in the UK will still be very popular!), you could offer a free gift with purchases, or you could offer free shipping on orders (which is great for people who have just spent an arm and a leg on last minute next-day delivery in time for Christmas!).
New Year New Me
“This year I’m going to be healthy, I’m going to have more self-control, and I am going to be a better person”. Ever heard that before? So have we! Get inside the mind of the consumer post-Xmas by getting ready to market to those with their ‘New Year New Me’ attitudes. For example, at the end of 2014, Amazon set up their website to show off money management books, activewear, massage and relaxation tools and the like – they had written in a banner at the top “Start the new year off with fitness, health, nutrition, organisation, wellness, money management, and more” - and the products they were displaying reflected that.
Stay Active
Yes, you could take that in terms of start going on a few runs to work off that Christmas belly. However, we just mean don’t be silent on social media. Of course, you and other retailers will be tired, but the customers are still there. Some businesses pretty much shut-up-shop in this time, so there is a much higher chance of your voice being heard if you stay active on social media platforms.
So, perhaps this time isn’t so quiet after all! We hope you had a lovely Christmas and wish you a very happy New Year!