Three Bursts, One Season
The holiday season is not one long stretch. It is a series of bursts: now through Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and then Christmas. Each one asks something different of your business, and the levers you pull in each one add up to how you finish the year.
The levers you control
Constant remerchandising of the floor. A floor that looks the same in December as it did in October stops getting noticed. Move product, refresh displays, and give regular customers a reason to look again.
Sales huddles and PMs. Meet with your team often, before the doors open and again as the season builds. Share what is working, what to push, and what the goal is for the day. Pair that with PMs on the items you most want to move, so your people have a reason to focus on them.
Targeted markdowns. Mark down with purpose. Choose the items that need to move, and take the markdown early enough that it does its job. Blanket markdowns give away margin you did not have to give up.
Thoughtful reordering. Reorder your proven sellers early, and be honest about what the rest of the season can support. Vendors run short and shipping slows down, so waiting costs you.
A watchful eye on your December 31st ending inventory. Every decision you make this season lands on that number. Check it often, not just at the end, so you are steering toward it rather than discovering it.
Bring in something new
Here is one more lever worth adding. Start introducing new classifications early, whether that is early spring or resort merchandise, and yes, even in gifts. New is king. It generates full price revenue, and that full price revenue helps offset the markdowns you are taking elsewhere. Your customers are always looking for what is fresh, and giving them something new in the middle of the season keeps them coming back.
Keep watching the numbers
Across all three bursts, the same habit pays off: look at your numbers often. Weekly is good, and daily during the peak is better. Here at M1, Ask Indie can help you see what is moving and what needs attention, so you can spend your time on customers instead of spreadsheets.
Take care of your inventory, your team, and yourself. This season is a sprint made of smaller sprints, and you only need to win the one in front of you.
Onwards and Upwards,
Marc Weiss
Co-founder and CEO
Management One
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