RETAILOBSERVER.COM OCTOBER 2019
6
Moe Lastfogel
moe@retailobserver.com
Moe's Musings Views
Happy Haunting,
O
ctober is here and many of your customers are making preparations
for their annual haunted house or spooky front yard. The stores that
sell seasonal products have already gotten ready for the holiday
season. I have just started to take inventory of all the halloween props I have
and am getting ready to visit the local halloween haunts near me for some
new ideas and inspirations. I know exactly where to go for the most unique
and ghoulish decorations in town and it is likely your customers do as well.
My favorite spots are usually smaller shops that I find when I'm on the road
but I also source from the usual local retail haunts.
Halloween is the second largest holiday in retail topped only by
Christmas. Being a huge halloween fan myself, I've seen the seasonal retail
business growing immensely over the past decade or so. Retailers are
getting more sophisticated and carrying a larger selection of items for the
avid collector. The desire for better products has risen causing a larger
demand for more choices and better quality. Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes,
At Home, Big Lots and even the Dollar Tree have taken advantage of the
added revenue numbers as more and more people are taking this holiday to
the extreme.
As entertaining at home continues to be a viable option for families, many
independents are profiting from adding on these seasonal items year-round
for various holidays. Getting started is as easy as placing small items near
the cash registers for impulse sales or making a space for a display in the
back of the store. This will not only draw in more traffic but will force
customers to walk by general merchandise. The key is not to replicate what
can be found in the big box stores. Instead, find a line of unique or novelty
items that customers won't be able to find anywhere else. You will have
loyal customers like me coming back year after year to add to their collection,
and not just waiting until they need a new refrigerator or a sofa to come in.
As your customers' haunted houses and their desire for better products
grow, so can your bottom line.
SEASONAL
SALES—
ADD TO YOUR
BOTTOM LINE
We proudly support the following
trade associations and buying groups
throughout North America whose news
and information greatly contribute to the
quality of The Retail Observer and the
education of our readers.
www.unitedservicers.com
www.cedia.org
www.NKBA.org
www.asid.org www.aham.org
www.brandsource.com
www.cta.tech
www.nahb.org
www.dpha.net
www.feigroup.net
www.htsa.com
www.psaworld.org
www.cantrex.com
www.psoca.org
www.necoalliance.com
www.prosourceinfo.com
www.NARI.org
THE RETAIL
www.nrha.org
Follow us on:
Join us at:
Become a Fan:
www.nationwidegroup.org
