Peaks and troughs in sales?

[mymiyel]

I've only really started selling in April of this year and things have been very quiet. I hear people say that the summer months are the quietest but since I haven't done even one full year yet, let alone many years, I was wondering this was really true.

Do those of you who have been selling for years notice that summer is very quiet and then things start to pick up in September? And is it also very quiet after Christmas when people have no money?

I think I'm probably wanting to feel better about my lack of sales and hope that it happens to everyone and that they will pick up eventually..... (fingers crossed!)

[glasskanvas]

Well...my sales are so up and down... Generally the Sept-Dec is oviously the busiest time of the year. I find the build up start in the last 2 weeks of Aug though (as soon as people get back from hols). For me Jan is still busy but that's because of Valentines. The slowest time of year...and I mean painfully slow...is Late July/Early Aug...no-one is online!

[auntynet]

Can't speak for on-line sales as we don't have a website but we work a regular market stall 3 days a week and I have to say that our business is growing steadily every week and if anything the summer/school hols seem to have boosted our sales. We do a lot of pocket money lines which the kids always seem to take ages over chosing what they want and while they're doing that, the mums are looking at the good stuff with the better price tags.

[mymiyel]

Anyone else?

I'm hoping I'm in the majority!

[Ifor-Jones]

Difficult to generalise as I don't necessarily find a pattern, except for (as I make cards) the time from now to Christmas being the busiest fulfilling orders. Apart from that a lot depends on how active I have been and how many events I have done. I find the time after Christmas the quietest, but again part of that is because I have packed everything away in order to use the dining room for Christmas and it takes me a while to get going, so I am not making contacts etc and there are generally not many craft fairs in the first three months of the year.

[saraeden]

It had been quiet for the past few weeks until last week when i had quite a few sales ... this year has been busier for me overall up to now !

I even sold something on New years day this year and January was a good month for me when last year it was very quiet !! I find each month is different but it did take me a while to get going and to get regular sales !!

I have booked lots of fairs up to Christmas and decided to get out there more
with my things !!

I hope it all picks up for you soon ... im sure it will x

Sara x

[Blooming Felt]

I've only been up and running properly since October last year and was manically busy on the Christmas run-up. Things quietened down after Christmas and didn't really pick up again until about March but then got busier and busier until about the 2nd week of July and it was like someone had flicked the switch. Sales became virtually non-existent even though I'm ranking on page 1 of Google for lots of my search terms. I'm still getting lots of visitors everyday, but very few sales. Things have picked up a bit this last week and I'm pretty sure that once September arrives and the kids are back at school, people will start buying again. I've been making the most of the quiet time to source new products and design new lines in time for the Christmas rush (hopefully !)

From speaking to other crafty people with websites, they are also saying that it has been quiet too. So I wouldn't worry too much at the moment !

[Chris W]

Trading

I have been retailing through my shop since 2003. You need to take a long term view to get a clear idea of how well you are doing. Generally August is a quiet month for me and the run up to Christmas the busiest. My trade is down on last year, many businesses in Eastbourne have closed down or are struggling, it is very tough, money is tight. However if you can survive when times are tough, you will do well when conditions improve. The thing with retailing is you never know what is around the corner, you could sell a weeks worth in a day to just one customer, this has happened to me a few times. So I suggest if you love selling to stick with it, take a long term view, spend wisely, maximise your profit and try to stay realistically optimistic.

[urbtaf]

It used to be that the sales over the year could be predicted, month by month. the old patterns seem to have dissapeared and as Chris W says you just have to take it as it comes.
I think the only time of the year that can be relied on is Jan, IT WILL BE CXXP

[DianeKing]

I think I'm probably wanting to feel better about my lack of sales and hope that it happens to everyone and that they will pick up eventually..... (fingers crossed!)

Don't feel bad about lack of sales to press. It certainly does happen to everyone. DON't GIVE UP and do what you love

[woodtattoos]

If anyone finds a spare peak to put an end to a long and slow trough, please let me know!

Si.