Ever heard the phrase, "Christmas in July?"
It's no joke!
Imagine this with me for a moment: it's
Summer, or early to mid-Fall. In the northern part of the
US, the weather is still nice and warm. In the south, it's
hot. All over the US, swimming, boating, jet-skis and
motorcycles are the rule. Backyard barbecues, and long
lazy nights under the stars. The last thing on anybody's
mind right now is Christmas.
Or is it? Believe it or not, there are
people who are thinking of nothing but Christmas right now.
Who are they? Product Manufacturers, Wholesale Suppliers,
and Retailers.
Manufacturers are rolling out their
latest product lines for the Holiday Season. At this
time of year, you'll noticed that next year's cars are
available at the Auto dealerships already. The new "model
runs" for everything from DVD Players to Toasters are coming
off the assembly lines. Wholesale Suppliers are planning
their cold-weather product inventories, like Ice Skates, Indoor
Games, and warm fuzzy Sweaters.
Christmas parties, Hanukkah celebrations,
Kwanzaa gatherings and more are still just a tickle of exciting
anticipation in most people's minds, but the Holiday Season
Sales Machine is cranking up into full gear. Swimsuits are
disappearing off the racks in retail stores, replaced first
by School Supplies, then by loads of Toys and Gifts. Wholesale
Suppliers are beginning to strain the capacity of their warehouse
shelving units with overstocks of new products. Retail Stores
are planning their Holiday advertising campaigns.
Why is all this happening now? Because the
Holidays are coming, sooner than you think! It takes a lot of
planning and foresight for product manufacturers, wholesale
suppliers and retailers to get ready for the Holidays.
ECommerce businesses are no different! If
you own a Home-based Internet Business, or are thinking about
starting one, you are in an excellent position RIGHT NOW to
catch the Holiday Season Sales Blitz! But, you need to get
going, or get left behind until next year!
The Holiday Season is the bonanza that all
retailers look forward to every year. According to the National
Federation of Retailers, as much as 40% of ALL retail sales occur
in those few short weeks leading up to the December Holiday
vacation that we all look forward to.
However, there's more to it than that. As
much as 60 to 70% of all the products that people buy as Gifts
are sold. When I say Gifts, I'm NOT talking about birdhouses
and glass figurines. I AM talking about the warm fuzzy sweaters,
the sporting goods, the toys, and all the other things that people
would normally buy for themselves throughout the year if they had
the extra cash. THIS is when they buy those things.
See the red shading in this graphic? Those red
areas are the Holiday Seasons from 1999 to 2002. Those black lines
that are slanting upward so steeply are the rises in ECOMMERCE sales,
in billions of dollars, during those Holiday Seasons. Notice that
after a steep Holiday rise in ECommerce, the line does not go back
down to where it started. It drops off as we hit January, but
levels off at a higher level than the year before. What you're
seeing there is the fact that overall Internet Retailers,
like you and me, are making more and more money every year.
Another good thing to know is that 75% of the billions in
online sales every year are made by strictly Internet
Retailers that do not have physical stores, just
like you and me.
There is no end to this trend in sight.
Online shopping is the fastest growing
area of internet use each year. 40% of all current internet
users already purchase goods online. The number of Internet
users is increasing dramatically every day.
Internet Retail sales continue to outpace
overall retail purchases. Total retail sales rose just 4.4
percent in 2001 while Internet Retail sales rose 22% for a
total of $34 Billion. In fact, Internet Retail has posted
consistent double-digit gains throughout the economic slump.
Non-store retailers like you and me accounted for a whopping
$26 Billion of that market!
So, what I'm saying here is that:
Internet Retail is growing rapidly,
with no end in sight.
The Holiday Season accounts for 40%
of the whole year's retail sales in Internet Retail,
and as much as 70% in some product markets.
The Holiday Season is coming...be
ready for it!
The time to begin preparing your
existing Home-based Internet Business, or to start
your new business is NOW, while everybody's still
enjoying the warmer weather. Your Holiday Retail
Season will make it worth missing a couple of camp-outs!
