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The Centurion Holiday Sales Success Index: First Full Week Of Season Shows Improvement | December 09, 2015 (0 comments)
Merrick, NY—After a slower-than-expected start to the 2016 holiday season over Black Friday weekend, sales at prestige jewelry stores have picked up steam in the first full week of the season.
According to the Centurion 2015 Holiday Sales Success Index, almost one-fourth of respondents to a spot-check survey reported sales are up more than 10% over the same period in 2014. In total, 69% of respondents said their sales were even or better than the same week last year. More than half of total respondents experienced an increase in sales, vs. 18% who said they were on par with last year. Just under one-third (31%) said sales were down from the same period last year.
Here's how respondents to The Centurion's spot check survey responded to the question "How was business for the first full week of the holiday season, compared to the same period last year?"
The relatively early start to Hanukkah (December 6) was not a factor in sales for most jewelers, nor was Cyber Monday. Only 5% said either one had an impact, though one Northwest-region jeweler held his first-ever Cyber Monday promotion and another jeweler felt that both got customers thinking, if not yet spending. Others still find the Internet frustrating all around. “Average and low merchandise. New generations are different. The mature generation still comes, but not enough,” lamented one California jeweler.
Overall, respondents reported a mixed bag of sales trends. There was an uptick in smaller sales and some stores reported significant large sales, but the general consensus is that it’s still early in the season for the serious shoppers. “In 40 years, it always starts the 15th of the month. Always the last 10 days. Can’t panic, yet,” said a jeweler in Oregon.
Direct mail (including email blasts) and social media posting led the way among jewelers as their most effective marketing tools, followed by picking up the phone and calling customers. Traditional print advertising slipped to fourth place, and TV to fifth place. Radio and paid social media boosts were tied for sixth place, followed by outdoor advertising and other forms of digital marketing. But good old word of mouth referrals and personal connections are always the best, said several respondents. Another relies on his much-awaited yearly catalog, while Pinterest was the only social media site singled out by respondents as an effective marketing tool for product-focused pitches.
"What Marketing Vehicle/s Have Been The Most Successful In Creating Traffic And Sales?"
Top image: Chepstowschool.net