Will you be running sales or coupons for the Holidays?

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

Nov 1st is here, Black Friday is just weeks away. Just wondering how many here are planning to run sales during the remainder of Q4? If so, do you plan them ahead on your calendar, or do you take a more casual approach?

Are you planning on doing anything to try to get repeat customers (coupons, newsletters, etc?)

[mam98031]

I take a more casual approach.  When I see sales dipping I tend to run a markdown sale.  But never on the week following Thanksgiving because that is usually a very good week for sales.  My guess is people get out and about in the stores looking at what is available and the prices over the weekend and then come back to see what they can find on the internet.  Just a guess on my part.  But the history of my selling usually proves that week to be a good sales week.

And every year, the week after Christmas is very hot for sales.  January is usually my biggest month for sales.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

Thanks @mam98031   Yeah, I usually do well at both those times ,too.  Haven't decided yet if I want to run sales earlier in November. I have been sending coupons with my packing slips to most of my buyers, but no sales from that so far....(Of course, I'm not in a single niche, so I don't get repeat buyers very often anyway....but it's easy to do, so I've been giving it a shot.

[meme6253]

Actually I Doubt that I will run any sales or send coupons, I have actually been raising many prices, Sellers are making less & less, I think the only way to fight back & survive is to raise prices, Maybe sell a little less but make the same or even better profit, I am not one to give my merchandise away, If you want to run sales & send coupons that is up to you, If I decide to go that route, I will raise prices enough to compensate for it. Good Luck!

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@meme6253  Thanks. yeah, one reason I asked is, we're all different. Most of my stuff has pretty good margins, so a sale or accepting offers can work for me without raising prices. Also, I'd love to clear out more stuff because of storage space limitations, and this is usually a good time of year to try to do that. But, as I say, we have different models, different business needs, etc.

[mam98031]

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:

Thanks @mam98031   Yeah, I usually do well at both those times ,too.  Haven't decided yet if I want to run sales earlier in November. I have been sending coupons with my packing slips to most of my buyers, but no sales from that so far....(Of course, I'm not in a single niche, so I don't get repeat buyers very often anyway....but it's easy to do, so I've been giving it a shot.

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques 

I decided to run a markdown now because sales have been very slow lately.  I won't likely run another one until early next year.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@mam98031  Hope it gets you some sales!

[iart]

eBay: Lower your prices!

eBay: Seriously, lower your prices! You have lots of competitors!

eBay: We'll stop showing your items if you don't go as low as you can with your prices!

US: Okay, fine.

eBay: Great! Now give buyers a coupon.

[mam98031]

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:

@mam98031  Hope it gets you some sales!

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Well not so much so far.  I have gotten one cancellation though.  LOL

[mam98031]

Oh I never price my stuff for a race to the bottom.  Just not something I do.  If they don't sell here, they will likely sell else where.

[katzrul15]

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@iart wrote:

eBay: Lower your prices!

eBay: Seriously, lower your prices! You have lots of competitors!

eBay: We'll stop showing your items if you don't go as low as you can with your prices!

US: Okay, fine.

eBay: Great! Now give buyers a coupon.

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Lol.  So true!

[vintage-camerastuff]

I run sales in Nov and Dec.

[chapeau-noir]

I don't sell typical 'holiday' items so just keep doing what I do, which is usually ushering items out of my store that have been there for 60-90 days, either with make an offer to interested buyers or running a markdown sale.  Sales for me typically bump the week after Christmas and usually I take a couple of weeks off before then and get a bunch of stuff prepared for then, but this year I may be gone, so will probably just trudge along as is.