3 Tips to Keep Your Business Hot in the Winter

Surviving the winter months is a concern for many businesses. Consumer spending shifts to the holidays and the amount being spent greatly declines after the rush to spend on gifts goes away. So the average business owner plans for the rush and hopes to receive a portion of the billions of dollars spent during this time of year.

However, for businesses that sell items which are best enjoyed in the spring and summer months, the excessive spending and recovery period is not felt. The winter months isn’t about a large boost in sales, but a steady decline in revenue because consumers tend to focus less on the sunny days and be more concerned about the ice-cold ones.

We recently received a request for consulting for a business who specializes in summer/beach items. The company had read our blog post, “Our Number One Marketing Tip for the Holiday Season” but they still needed campaign ideas for their product. And while, I simply cannot list all ideas in this one article, there are three things you should keep in mind when planning for the winter months (and not just Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays).

1. Work with what you got. Here in Florida there is a plethora of stores on the beach which sell beach wear items. If you sell clothing items which are more apt for the spring and summer months, consider working with a fashion stylist to help you keep the desire for your items going in the winter months. Fashion stylists, similar to Tamy Lugo of vStylist, have a way of showing customers how to transition their pieces for the cooler months. So the tank top with the sun on it is now being focused as a cami under a sweater or a jacket. There are ways to sell most summer clothing items in the winter. You just need to team up with a professional to show you how.
2. Get in where you can fit in. Create or purchase temporary products. I believe there is one national store which does this idea the best, Tropical Smoothie Cafe. This store is literally a hot spot for smoothies in the north and the south. They do not stop selling the icy treats once the winter months roll around. Nope. They focus on inserting white chocolate into some drinks and cranberries into others. And for their customers who refuse to drink the smoothies while the temperatures are below cool, they create seasonal sandwiches, soups and salads which have the same seasonal spirit of the weather.
3. Embrace the winter months. Imagine having a paintball business located outdoors in states where snow is a part of the norm. Many people would only think to visit this business in the warmer months. However, this type of business can encourage those who like this outdoor activity to participate in various themed days. There are people who can relate to the Star Wars movie where Luke Skywalker was in the snow fighting the Imperials. Why not create time periods where people can embrace pop culture memories while playing outdoors? Why reduce your hours or close your fields because people are not able to relate to the cold and outdoors? You can even purchase snow themed courses. Give these outdoor sportsmen something to embrace instead of closing.

This article could go on and on listing examples from our team members for companies who may scuba dive or outdoor bars, but with these three examples, your mind is probably turning now on how to embrace these winter months.

So what did you think of these examples? Do you have good examples of other businesses that are keeping their sales hot in the winter? Reply below. Your responses could be used for a future article.