The Holiday Clock is Ticking - Let's Get Ready!

Can you believe it is already November 9th? If you haven't gotten your ducks in a row for the Christmas selling season on eBay, there is still time. 4th quarter is the busiest time of the year for retailers, and that includes us! Make sure you cash in on holiday selling this year, as business analysts project it's going to be busy:

Kiplinger reports, "Thanks to months of solid gains, retailers are poised for healthy sales growth through the end of the year. Increased consumer confidence and disposable income, a tightening labor market and low gasoline prices will help drive spending during the fourth quarter. Economic improvements will push holiday sales higher by 3.5% to 4% over 2014. Holiday transactions represent about one-fifth of all retail sales." (Kiplinger.com)

Inc says, "Latest retail holiday sales forecast is projecting as much as $965 billion in sales between November and January, a 4 percent increase over last year's shopping season (excluding motor vehicles and gas). Though more than 90 percent of retail sales occur in-store, nearly 80 percent of shoppers say they engage with brands and retailers through digital channels before they set foot inside a store." (Inc.com)

Did you hear that? 80% of shoppers check out what's online before going to a store - so make sure everything you are doing on eBay is optimized for the holiday buying season. Here are a few ways you can maximize your eBay sales over the next 7 weeks:

1. If it isn't listed, list it NOW. That means anything. Even if you don't think it would be a gift or it is out of season. When you don't list your items (you know, those piles that grow overnight) you are basically helping other sellers get sales because nobody can buy yours. Don't leave money on the table because you didn't get items listed.

2. If at all possible, change handling time to same day or 1 day. Procrastinators abound, especially during holiday season. Shoppers will be in a rush. They will be looking for sellers who ship quickly. And not just the week of Christmas. Shoppers may have to pack up for a trip, want to ship out care packages, or freak out if they aren't ready 2 weeks early. Everyone loves a quick shipper!

3. Stay educated on what toys and hot items are in short supply and can be sold on eBay for above retail prices. That's right, plenty of retail products go for a premium around this time of year because they are out of stock in stores. This happens every year. Some past hot toys and holiday items I have flipped on eBay or Amazon:

Zhu Zhu Pets (2009)

LaLa Loopsy Dolls (2010)

Canned pumpkin (2011)

Furbys (2013)

A current example, Lays  chocolate potato chips cost about $3 in stores and they sell on eBay for around $12 a bag.

To help you even more with your holiday selling, I am offering a special Holiday Help Hotline this week only, on Thursday - Saturday (Nov  12- 14). Book a 20 minute phone consultation for only $20.
We can chat about anything you choose:

How to research the hot toys and other items this holiday season - don't buy a list, learn how to do it yourself every year!

How to improve your store (I'll do a store review)

How to optimize your store for the holidays

Hiring help for the holidays - where to find help and what tasks they can do

Prioritizing unlisted inventory (I get it - you have so much stuff it would be impossible to list it all in time. I know it can be overwhelming. Let's talk about making the best choices of items to list for maximum return.)

Anything else - customer service issues, sourcing inventory, shipping, growing your business, time management, listing, organizing inventory, keeping records - anything!

Sign up for your 20 minute consultation here. I can't wait to chat with you and help you have the best holiday selling season yet!

Talk to you soon,

Suzanne

(Check out past client testimonials.)