How to sell well even in the worst months for retail? January and February, a sales challenge!
Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2025 9:09 am
If your results at the beginning of the year are causing concern because they do not correspond to the growth observed in months prior to this period, and you are concerned about the period before and after Carnival, it is important to highlight that this sales challenge is very common between the months of January and February in the retail market , both online and in physical stores.
In this article, we will provide a detailed analysis of the reasons that lead to this impact, which often generates concerns for entrepreneurs dedicated to the success of their businesses. And of course, there are ways to overcome these challenges . So, let's better understand this context and reverse this scenario?
From the pinnacle to the sales challenge
The end of the year is one of the periods of greatest sales in Brazilian retail. This is due both to Black Friday, which has already taken root in the country, and to Christmas and New Year, which greatly boost retail as a whole. However, little is said about the months that follow this peak sales period. Right after the peak, January and February tend to bring sales challenges to retail. And if you live in Brazil, you've heard the phrase "The year only starts after Carnival", right? Well, you can't start only after February, especially for those who have a business to profit from, employees to pay and inventory to move.
According to a survey conducted by Serasa Experian, January and February tend to be the worst months for Brazilian retail in general, a real sales challenge. The sectors that feel the impact of these months the most are textiles, clothing, footwear and accessories, which typically record a 30% decline in relation to their monthly average.
According to economists, excessive spending during the france whatsapp data end-of-year festivities and initial expenses of the year such as documentation, taxes and even children's school supplies, can and tend to result in a slowdown in sales, negatively impacting the economic scenario of companies.
Analyzing these challenges, it is necessary to invest in effective strategies that can reverse this trend. With this in mind, we have selected 5 strategies that, if planned correctly, can help you sell more and get out of the red during these months when business is slow. Check it out!
First of all, analyze the scenario
Any action in a company needs to start with good strategic planning. And the main starting point is to have clarity about the current scenario. After all, it is essential to know where your company is today in order to be able to chart an effective path to where you want to go.
To do this, it is essential to analyze how this period was in the previous two years. Gather some information such as:
Ad investment history
Sales history
Products continued to sell in January and February of previous years
Products stopped selling
Products that last all year round regardless of seasonality
Visitor volume and conversion rate
Channels that sold the most
Recurrence vs. New Customers
With an analysis of the scenario above you will know:
Products with the greatest sales potential during the period (and these are the ones you should invest the most in)
Products that are not worth paying attention to (evaluate the opportunity to negotiate a purchase with your supplier. After all, the seasonality of your business may be the same as theirs. And in a more challenging sales period, you may be able to get a great deal)
If sales fall along with traffic (which indicates that the conversion rate is maintained and less sales are being made as a result of the drop in access volume) or if access is stable (consequently a drop in conversion)
Channels that sold the most during the period. For example: Google Ads may be the highlight of your start of the year. Therefore, it may be where you should invest the most during this period.
If during the period you sold more to new customers or more to existing customers – indicating where the greatest potential for results lies
In addition to the points above, many other pieces of information can be considered and many other insights can emerge. The fact is that you now have clarity of the scenario rather than a general perception, and this first step is crucial to planning.
Personalize offers through segmentation :
Having a well-segmented contact base is essential when communicating with your audience and formulating your strategies.
Personalizing communication to maintain contact and keep the lead engaged means that your company stays in their minds and often in their hearts – whether the lead is a customer or not. Being present means being remembered and considered. With strategically planned communication, this connection will have a greater chance of turning into sales – even during seasonal periods.
By segmenting your base by interest, you can recommend a product that is part of the customer's previous consumption, making offers and recommendations based on their purchase history and individual preferences. This can increase the frequency of purchases and even cause an increase in the average ticket , creating a much more fluid experience for your customer and profitable for your company.
The more companies we serve here at Goo Resultados, the more we realize how important it is to reinforce the importance of a good lead segmentation strategy, since often the money that was missing from previous months' revenue was left on the table amid lost data and faulty or non-existent communication with your base. We prioritize this structure because it is precisely one of the sources with the fastest possible return.
In addition to being a smarter way to use your company's resources, lead segmentation can increase your conversion rate, providing a much more efficient sales process.
In this article, we will provide a detailed analysis of the reasons that lead to this impact, which often generates concerns for entrepreneurs dedicated to the success of their businesses. And of course, there are ways to overcome these challenges . So, let's better understand this context and reverse this scenario?
From the pinnacle to the sales challenge
The end of the year is one of the periods of greatest sales in Brazilian retail. This is due both to Black Friday, which has already taken root in the country, and to Christmas and New Year, which greatly boost retail as a whole. However, little is said about the months that follow this peak sales period. Right after the peak, January and February tend to bring sales challenges to retail. And if you live in Brazil, you've heard the phrase "The year only starts after Carnival", right? Well, you can't start only after February, especially for those who have a business to profit from, employees to pay and inventory to move.
According to a survey conducted by Serasa Experian, January and February tend to be the worst months for Brazilian retail in general, a real sales challenge. The sectors that feel the impact of these months the most are textiles, clothing, footwear and accessories, which typically record a 30% decline in relation to their monthly average.
According to economists, excessive spending during the france whatsapp data end-of-year festivities and initial expenses of the year such as documentation, taxes and even children's school supplies, can and tend to result in a slowdown in sales, negatively impacting the economic scenario of companies.
Analyzing these challenges, it is necessary to invest in effective strategies that can reverse this trend. With this in mind, we have selected 5 strategies that, if planned correctly, can help you sell more and get out of the red during these months when business is slow. Check it out!
First of all, analyze the scenario
Any action in a company needs to start with good strategic planning. And the main starting point is to have clarity about the current scenario. After all, it is essential to know where your company is today in order to be able to chart an effective path to where you want to go.
To do this, it is essential to analyze how this period was in the previous two years. Gather some information such as:
Ad investment history
Sales history
Products continued to sell in January and February of previous years
Products stopped selling
Products that last all year round regardless of seasonality
Visitor volume and conversion rate
Channels that sold the most
Recurrence vs. New Customers
With an analysis of the scenario above you will know:
Products with the greatest sales potential during the period (and these are the ones you should invest the most in)
Products that are not worth paying attention to (evaluate the opportunity to negotiate a purchase with your supplier. After all, the seasonality of your business may be the same as theirs. And in a more challenging sales period, you may be able to get a great deal)
If sales fall along with traffic (which indicates that the conversion rate is maintained and less sales are being made as a result of the drop in access volume) or if access is stable (consequently a drop in conversion)
Channels that sold the most during the period. For example: Google Ads may be the highlight of your start of the year. Therefore, it may be where you should invest the most during this period.
If during the period you sold more to new customers or more to existing customers – indicating where the greatest potential for results lies
In addition to the points above, many other pieces of information can be considered and many other insights can emerge. The fact is that you now have clarity of the scenario rather than a general perception, and this first step is crucial to planning.
Personalize offers through segmentation :
Having a well-segmented contact base is essential when communicating with your audience and formulating your strategies.
Personalizing communication to maintain contact and keep the lead engaged means that your company stays in their minds and often in their hearts – whether the lead is a customer or not. Being present means being remembered and considered. With strategically planned communication, this connection will have a greater chance of turning into sales – even during seasonal periods.
By segmenting your base by interest, you can recommend a product that is part of the customer's previous consumption, making offers and recommendations based on their purchase history and individual preferences. This can increase the frequency of purchases and even cause an increase in the average ticket , creating a much more fluid experience for your customer and profitable for your company.
The more companies we serve here at Goo Resultados, the more we realize how important it is to reinforce the importance of a good lead segmentation strategy, since often the money that was missing from previous months' revenue was left on the table amid lost data and faulty or non-existent communication with your base. We prioritize this structure because it is precisely one of the sources with the fastest possible return.
In addition to being a smarter way to use your company's resources, lead segmentation can increase your conversion rate, providing a much more efficient sales process.