Yes Virginia, Retail Holiday Sales Will Suck... Again!

Yes Virginia, Retail Holiday Sales Will Suck... Again!
Tags: Consumer Behavior, Customer Experience, Department Stores, Employee Training, Hiring and Retention, Marketing, Psychology, Retail - Apparel, Retail - Electronics, Retail - General, Retail - Home Center, Retail - Mall, Retail - Warehouse, Specialty Stores, Stats and Facts
October 3, 2010

While it’s encouraging to read that Deloitte is expecting a slight upturn in retail sales and Nielsen is predicting flat, the reality is this holiday season will be grinchy for retailers.

But this is nothing new...

I've researched the media going back over ten years and one thing is for certain: wherever you look from now until the first week of January, there will be one consistent message: retail holiday sales will suck.

Because the evidence shows a pattern to these stories which like a bad tie at Father's day appear each year.

It doesn't matter if it was holiday 2002 - the year after 9/11. Or just last year, the messages are all the same: retailers will be getting coal for Christmas. Even when 10 out of those 11 years sales actually increased.

That's right. Increased...

Look for the first to appear by the second week of October touting how "nervous retailers are this holiday season." Watch as frenzied advice is given how to "find the best deal," "never pay retail" and haggle because retail is bound to be the worst since 19XX.

That’s because journalists enjoy this story. These stories are like shooting fish in a barrel. No one gets tired of them and they have the air of newsworthiness.

You can learn the types of stories and when they will appear by downloading my special report on holiday sales. It doesn’t cost you anything but it has been eye-opening for my clients and now you.

But that’s not really why you should download it but more about that in a minute…

I could be wrong I suppose, the media could come out and be hopeful that sales will be strong. They could mention shoppers are ready to open their wallets.

Yeah and if you believe that, while the country is still inching its way to a recovery, I have a great Groupon for you from Tiffanys.

As any C-level Executive, brand manager or anyone else managing retail - you must proactively set out to fight the effects of these news stories on your customers, employees and yourself or you'll end up as a source for their doom-and-gloom stories.

That's why in my special report you'll also learn the ten ways for you to have an excellent holiday season.

For example, you're bound to be surprised at the location in your store where 70% of buying decisions take place, and how smart retailers must work proactively to gain sales.

So don't wait...

Prove the pundits wrong again this year with these success tips. Click this link to have your complimentary copy emailed to you at once.

After you've read the document - help keep me honest. Look for stories that support it and paste their links in the comments section of the post at http://www.retaildoc.com/blog/retail-holiday-sales-predictions-2010/with your thoughts.

BTW - Not one of these tips in the special report involves discounting. But you probably knew that...