How to boost a slump in sales

By Sharon Fussell, February 4, 2016

You may find that at this time of year orders appear to be fewer in number than usual.

I think it’s because, usually, the period from before Christmas is often a little hectic and expensive, leaving January to be a month where you take stock and reel in spending a bit. Buyers are watching the pennies after their Christmas spend, quietened due to credit card bills appearing in January!

Thus the footfall on Amazon is lower – so how can you ensure you optimise your sales at this time of year?

The answer is to think of what’s ahead. As spring appears on the horizon, people start to think about all manner of new projects and summer promises.

Below is a selection of seasonal product genres I recommend you look  for, in order to start to build sales…

  • Lent/Easter subjects
  • Gardening books
  • Travel guides
  • Chocolate cooking recipe books
  • Home decorating books
  • Losing weight / summer beach bodies topics
  • Exercise DVDs
  • Wedding books

Here are some more specific examples…

Gardening books

  • RHS Gardening Month by Month
  • RHS Pruning Plant by Plant
  • Alan Titchmarsh How to Garden: Container Gardening
  • Gardening on a Shoestring: 100 Ways to Create a Garden on a Budget
  • Small Garden Planner

Travel guides

  • Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2016
  • DK Eyewitness Travel Guide
  • How Not to Travel the World: Adventures of a Disaster-Prone Backpacker
  • Lonely Planet Japan

Chocolate cookery books

  • The Complete Book of Chocolate and 200 Chocolate Recipes
  • Simply Cadbury’s Chocolate: 100 Tempting Recipes
  • Chocolate at Home: Step-by-step recipes from a master chocolatier
  • Chocolate-Covered Katie: Over 80 Delicious Recipes That Are Secretly Good for You
  • “Green and Black’s” Chocolate Recipes: From the Cacao Pod to Muffins, Mousses and Moles

Wedding planning

  • The DIY Wedding Manual: How to Create Your Perfect Day Without a Celebrity Budget
  • KTWO Golden Heart Luxury Wedding Planner
  • Paula Pryke Wedding Flowers: Exceptional Floral Design for Exceptional Occasions
  • Vintage Wedding Flowers: Bouquets, Button Holes, Table Settings, Bead Flowers & Wedding Bouquets (CD ROM)

Home decorating ideas

  • Home Decorating for Dummies
  • INTERIOR DESIGN BUSINESS: A Guide on How to Start a Successful Budget Home-Based Interior Design and Decorating Compnay
  • DIY: 20 DIY Projects For Your Home To Make Your Life Easier:
  • Mindfulness: Declutter: Feng Shui Home
  • Decorate: 1000 Professional Design Ideas for Every Room in the House

So keep eyes peeled at charity shops or whatever forum you use to purchase your book stocks.

Ensure you have the right type of books for the time of year: your sales should reflect demand for popular seasonal books.  

TESTING TESTING

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