Halloween Items Not Selling - A Race to the Bottom? Christmas Going to be Like this Also??

[katzrul15]

We have never had a Halloween sales slump like this - not in all the years on here.  Our Halloween items are not selling and there are so many items priced well below our wholesale pricing AND they offer FREE Shipping with that Race to the Bottom, Sandwich ~ THANK you so very much!  (We offer Free shipping, but I cannot sell something for $8 + free shipping, when our cost was $5.40/per and MSRP is $24.99)

Everything from Disney Princess costumes, wigs, flashlights - even Buzz Lightyear costumes and accessories are not selling like usual and we're not going to sell a full costume for $12.95 + free shipping.

I am concerned.  Is this what Christmas is shortly about to look like?  This Race to the Bottom (several items today from Sellers I have bookmarked have again lowered pricing by $1-$3 per item to try and get them to sell) is really concerning.  At least we sold several more Pokemon oreos today - 4 less packs I do not have to eat.  🙂

[vintagecraze50]

Maybe it will get better with the online stuff again around Christmas. We just do not know how significant this virus thing is going to be again, especially with the MU coming this way probably sooner than we think. And I hate to even make that kind of statement because things should be getting better here without the threat of the virus and  my hope that this thing will stop mutating  and killing people.

[downunder-61]

Sorry this is happening katz, but this has gone so off topic, I don't know where to start.

eBay is in trouble, other sites are going fine and I don't see how Christmas is going to be any better at this stage, I would definitely be listing on your other sites

[7794heather]

I had to go to a store today to buy a small lamp and looked around a bit since it was the first time I had been in there for a really long time.....they only had one small aisle for halloween, one aisle for Thanksgiving and they started putting out christmas but it was only in one small corner of the store. Im used to see tons of stuff. So perhaps the retail side of things arent so great offline as well. This virus "thing" has really caused a ripple in retail. Just hope for the best. 

[katzrul15]

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@downunder-61 wrote:

Sorry this is happening katz, but this has gone so off topic, I don't know where to start.

eBay is in trouble, other sites are going fine and I don't see how Christmas is going to be any better at this stage, I would definitely be listing on your other sites

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Yes, I have no idea either what the hey all that ^^^^ is about.  

Just pulled a bunch of listings down - but might be too late to get Halloween items to FBA, but will see what I can accomplish in the AM.

Several large sellers from China are dominating seasonal listings for Halloween.  Cannot compete with $12.95 + free shipping for a full buzz costume and do not want to.

By October 1st, we are usually about sold out of all things Halloween.  This is really depressing.  Last year wasn't this bad and they cancelled trick or treating about everywhere and we still sold quite a bit (but folks were not in stores then either)

[downunder-61]

Despite the other replies, I don't beleive COVID has anything to do with the problems here any more.

Good luck with listing tomorrow.

[katzrul15]

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@7794heather wrote:

I had to go to a store today to buy a small lamp and looked around a bit since it was the first time I had been in there for a really long time.....they only had one small aisle for halloween, one aisle for Thanksgiving and they started putting out christmas but it was only in one small corner of the store. Im used to see tons of stuff. So perhaps the retail side of things arent so great offline as well. This virus "thing" has really caused a ripple in retail. Just hope for the best. 

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Thank you, you are so very kind.

I was in Home Goods today and TJ Maxx trying to find DS a comforter for his college room.  There are none.  I don't mean, hey they were all fugly so I did not buy them - there were NONE to choose from.  Towels were really, really picked over and no cat beds.  Need one desperately, but wanted to actually see it before purchase.  None.

Stores were packed today and it is Tuesday - 3 pm and the stores were packed.  And very minimal selection.

So I was thinking - hey, this should bode well for those of us who sell online!  

Lots of Halloween today, no Thanksgiving I saw (wanted a ceramic pumpkin) and no Christmas at the 2 stores I was at.

Maybe everyone is just going to shop late(r) than usual.  (But I really doubt it)  😞

[hurryagain]

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@downunder-61 wrote:

Despite the other replies, I don't beleive COVID has anything to do with the problems here any more.

Good luck with listing tomorrow.

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@downunder-61 

Really?

I was thinking that many parents do not want their kids out there in the pandemic so maybe that is why halloween sales are off...? maybe...?

covid's a-ragin' and people don't want their kids out there.  people have been pulling their kids out of school because of the rise in cases so I would think that if school is a no-go, halloween is a no-go too.

...just my two cent on the subject...

Oh!  And don't get me wrong...sales ARE a bit off but I think even more so for social items like halloween.

[downunder-61]

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@hurryagain wrote:

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@downunder-61 wrote:

Despite the other replies, I don't beleive COVID has anything to do with the problems here any more.

Good luck with listing tomorrow.

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@downunder-61 

Really?

I was thinking that many parents do not want their kids out there in the pandemic so maybe that is why halloween sales are off...? maybe...?

covid's a-ragin' and people don't want their kids out there.  people have been pulling their kids out of school because of the rise in cases so I would think that if school is a no-go, halloween is a no-go too.

...just my two cent on the subject...

Oh!  And don't get me wrong...sales ARE a bit off but I think even more so for social items like halloween.

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Halloween is not a big thing here, and didn't even consider that side of it - point taken, not the best idea to go door to door getting 'treats' from strangers.

[katzrul15]

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@downunder-61 wrote:

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@hurryagain wrote:

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@downunder-61 wrote:

Despite the other replies, I don't beleive COVID has anything to do with the problems here any more.

Good luck with listing tomorrow.

---

@downunder-61 

Really?

I was thinking that many parents do not want their kids out there in the pandemic so maybe that is why halloween sales are off...? maybe...?

covid's a-ragin' and people don't want their kids out there.  people have been pulling their kids out of school because of the rise in cases so I would think that if school is a no-go, halloween is a no-go too.

...just my two cent on the subject...

Oh!  And don't get me wrong...sales ARE a bit off but I think even more so for social items like halloween.

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Halloween is not a big thing here, and didn't even consider that side of it - point taken, not the best idea to go door to door getting 'treats' from strangers.

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@hurryagain 

@downunder-61 

You are both probably correct.  For now anyway, all Halloween activities are scheduled and "on" - but you are correct, that could change soon/quickly and perhaps folks bought last year, could not use it due to covid and now do not need anything this year.  

Halloween is huge here in the U.S.  - this Holiday is only dwarfed by Christmas.  Lots of lights, decorations, costumes - usually folks go all out.  

Well....whatever keeps everyone safe is what I would want for certain.  Should have realized the uncertainty out there still.  No wonder everyone is selling their Halloween stuff(s) so cheap.  If Halloween gets cancelled again - they might be getting it all back in returns as well.

First Easter was dismal, then our Christmas in July sale was a bust, now Halloween potentially also.  Dang.

[chapeau-noir]

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@downunder-61 wrote:

Despite the other replies, I don't beleive COVID has anything to do with the problems here any more.

Good luck with listing tomorrow.

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I think it does, but for different reasons.  I know in my state with a good vaccination rate at least for the western part, we're open and really cooking - we have a mask mandate, private businesses can have vaccination mandates if they like - since they are privately owned, it's their decision, not the gubmint's, and if somebody doesn't like it, they can stay home and let the adults keep everything going, as we aim to stay open and alive and healthy.

As a result, stores are very busy because people are tired of being online.  There is also a trend for more in-person shopping by the newest generation.  So it's a flip-flop. I feel very little fear locally because we just go about our business doing what we need to do, with lots going on now.

[fm2000]

The biggest issue is inflation. Gas is almost twice as expensive here as last year, and some grocery items are 15% to over 200% more expensive then they were a year ago. Much of people's discretionary income is going into their gas tanks and supermarkets.

[katzrul15]

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@fm2000 wrote:

The biggest issue is inflation. Gas is almost twice as expensive here as last year, and some grocery items are 15% to over 200% more expensive then they were a year ago. Much of people's discretionary income is going into their gas tanks and supermarkets.

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Gas here is about about 50 cents a gallon over where it was the beginning of summer.  But you are correct, the grocery store costs are much higher than even the beginning of June - IF you can even find it.  Especially perishables, meats, etc.

[buyologist-3]

That took a longer time than I thought it would.  This makes a ton of sense!  Take 10 more Helpfuls!  Inflation with no end in sight.

[chapeau-noir]

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@buyologist-3 wrote:

That took a longer time than I thought it would.  This makes a ton of sense!  Take 10 more Helpfuls!  Inflation with no end in sight.

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Well, supply chain problems are pushing up inflation - this country has had supply chain problems before and will again. I'm older than some here and remember when per capita food took up considerably more of the budget than it does now, when there were not the obscene quantities heaped up in huge markets like Costco and Walmart.  When we didn't have ultra-cheap clothing from China and India, but good US- or European-made clothing that cost more of our budget but lasted longer (one of the few good things from the 'good old days'.) We're bigger than any of this.