Do you see trends?

[Cliff Wilson]

In another thread (Is this normal in beginning) someone says the end-of-summer and back-to-school is when people are ignoring home decor so framing sales are slow.

I've found that the end-of-summer is one of my small "bumps" in sales because we get in the "vacation art" that people have picked up over the summer.

Everyone always assumes I have a "bump" in my sales at graduation time framing a lot of diplomas. For me, it's negligible. The majority of my diplomas come in at the holidays being framed by the parents as gifts.

I do seem to see a "Spring awakening"/"Spring cleaning" bump about end-of-March early April, but it's only been 5 out of 7 years, so I'm not sure what exactly it is?

Of course, Christmas is my make my money for the year time.

The last couple of years I've been cultivating some "corporate sales" and have noticed posters/mission statements/certificates that seem to pop in at the beginning of each quarter. I'm guessing it's a budget cycle thing.

What about you? Spikes or valleys in sales that you attribute to something?

I'm just wondering if I can boost my valleys by advertising for something that others spike with. Like my "vacation art" when the other person sees a lull.

 

[Jeff Rodier]

In my location which is a value priced family vacation location I have nearly no art sales during the tourist season. The other 9 months of the year see regular art sales. I am in a destination location so I don't see a spike in traffic from the millions of tourists that are here during the summer. Residents tend to hibernate to avoid the traffic and heat.

By Sept. the locals have cabin fever and the better arts festivals begin. Christmas season for framing began immediately after Labor Day. Students are back in college buying supplies. The dead of winter brings in higher art sales and this year the walls will be covered with our photos on canvas rather than paper. Spring is steady. Summer will be my corporate season.

I've only been open just under 2 years but feel comfortable with the trends I have recognized. This market is very unique so it is not possible for others to rely on my trends.

 

[JWB9999999]

Definite peaks and valleys here.

UP months are May, August, November and December.
DOWN months are March, April, July, September, October.
In the other months sales are trending toward the subsequent months.

The spike in May is related to school graduations, proms, etc. The spike in August comes from 2 sources: kids are back in school, so the mothers come in with everything they've saved all summer; and the government's fiscal year ends in Sept, so government entities tend to blow the rest of their funds on things including framing by the end of August. November is simply the lead up to Christmas in December.

That doesn't mean we don't see any variation, of course. Our June this year was equal to our May, the best June we've ever had in the store. Meanwhile our August was the worst August we've had in I'm not sure how many years.

 

[Shayla]

In our town, the slow times come in the spring and mid-summer.
We usually have a very slow time around April, and then one
in July or August. This year has been an anomaly of sorts, and I'm
not sure why.

We didn't have a Christmas rush last year, but we did have framing
as usual. That was a relief. Then, for some crazy reason, we had the
biggest February ever. Bigger than Christmas. Our slow time in April
happened, but we've had a busy framing summer. For the past
sixteen years, it's always been slow for that month. But not this time.

Framing is such a strange job, because no matter how you advertise
or position your business, it's still a discretionary income choice for
people. It's not like selling toilet paper, where you know they're
always going to need it on a regular basis. It's far more dependent
on their whims than on any utilitarian need. That makes it a challenge,
especially during dicey economic times, to ride out the months when
they all stay home at once.

Knock on wood, things have been good here this year. The only
thing I can figure is that, since they're not going to Mauai this
year, they're framing that print for the living room. I encourage
that idea in my customers, but really it's just of their own accord
that they do so. In unpredictable times, when so much is out of
their control, it can be comforting to make your home into even
more of a welcoming haven. People feel like that the one place
where they can make sure that things are still pleasing and reliable.
Something else we're seeing more of is people framing family heritage
photos. That could just be a fluke, or it could reflect their desire to
preserve their heritage, finding comfort in their identity as part
of a lineage. And reminding themselves of the love that has carried
them this far, that there's more to life than money and career. It can't
hurt to look at it this way, and it seems like this might be some of what's
behind those choices right now.

 

[PaulSF]

December pre-Christmas has never been a particularly busy time for my store in the 3+ years I've been open. This year, I won't be stocking up on any inventory or merchandise for Christmas rush orders or last minute gifts, because I really don't expect any. Things pick up for me on December 26, for about 2-3 weeks. I know all the high-tech companies traditionally close during the week between Christmas and New Years, so maybe that's it.

 

[Ylva]

Well, I can't really compare anything, as I've only been open for a year now.
December was my worst month, followed by March.
Summer months were great. October was my top month, followed by September.

I see the same trend as you Shayla, I've seen a lot of old family photos coming in and people are more than willing to spend some money on it too. Some will bring in copies, but most prefer the 'real thing'.

I don't expect a busy Christmas season, but you just never know. I will stock a bit extra of my popular mouldings. If they don't sell during Christmas season, no big deal, I'll sell them some other time.