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The "Is Your EBiz Ready for the Holidays?"

by Chris Malta

Ever heard the phrase, "Christmas in July?" It's no joke! Imagine this with me for a moment: it's Summer, or early to mid-Fall. In the northern part of the US, the weather is still nice and warm. In the south, it's hot. All over the US, swimming, boating, jet-skis and motorcycles are the rule. Backyard barbecues, and long lazy nights under the stars. The last thing on anybody's mind right now is Christmas.

Or is it? Believe it or not, there are people who are thinking of nothing but Christmas right now. Who are they? Product Manufacturers, Wholesalers, and Retailers.

Manufacturers are rolling out their latest product lines for the Holiday Season. Have you noticed that the 2003 cars are available at the Auto dealerships already? The new "model runs" for everything from DVD Players to Toasters are coming off the assembly lines. Wholesalers are planning their cold-weather product inventories, like Ice Skates, Indoor Games, and warm fuzzy Sweaters.

Christmas parties, Hanukkah celebrations, Kwanzaa gatherings and more are still just a tickle of exciting anticipation in most people's minds, but the Holiday Season Sales Machine is cranking up into full gear. Swimsuits are disappearing of the racks in retail stores, replaced first by School Supplies, then by loads of Toys and Gifts. Wholesale distributors beginning to strain the capacity of their warehouse shelving units with overstocks of new products. Retail Stores are planning their Holiday advertising campaigns. 

Why is all this happening now? Because the Holidays are coming, sooner than you think! It takes a lot of planning and foresight for product manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers to get ready for the Holidays.

ECommerce businesses are no different! If you own an Internet Store, or are thinking about starting one, you are in an excellent position RIGHT NOW to catch the Holiday Season Sales Blitz! But, you need to get going, or get left behind until next year!

 The Holiday Season is the bonanza that all retailers look forward to every year. According to the National Federation of Retailers, as much as 40% of ALL retail sales occur in those few short weeks leading up to the December Holiday vacation that we all look forward to.

However, there's more to it than that. As much as 60 to 70% of all the products that people buy as Gifts are sold. When I say Gifts, I'm NOT talking about birdhouses and glass figurines. I AM talking about the warm fuzzy sweaters, the sporting goods, the toys, and all the other things that people would normally buy for themselves throughout the year if they had the extra cash. THIS is when they buy those things. 

Overall, ECommerce Retailers, like you and me, are making more and more money every year. Another good thing to know is that 75% of the billions in online sales every year are made by strictly ECommerce Retailers that do not have physical stores, just like you and me. 

There is no end to this trend in sight.

Online shopping is the fastest growing area of internet use this year. 30% of all current internet users already purchase goods online. The number of Internet users is increasing dramatically every day.

ECommerce sales continue to outpace overall retail purchases. Total retail sales rose just 4.4 percent in 2001 while ECommerce sales rose 22% for a total of $34 Billion. In fact, e-commerce has posted consistent double-digit gains throughout the economic slump. Non-store retailers like you and me accounted for a whopping $26 Billion of that market!

So, what I'm saying here is that:

ECommerce is growing rapidly, with no end in sight. The Holiday Season accounts for 40% of the whole year's retail sales in ECommerce, and as much as 70% in some product markets. The Holiday Season is coming...be ready for it!

The time to begin preparing your existing ECommerce business, or to start your new ECommerce business is NOW, while everybody's still enjoying the warmer weather. Your Holiday Retail Season will make it worth missing a couple of camp-outs!