A guide WITH THE BEST KNOW-HOW AND TIPS FOR a Roadmap For The Most Important German Holidays

We at FAIRLING have the mission to connect brands and retailers from all around the world and to make the world of wholesale a better and more sustainable place.

 

In our How To & Tips guide on this blog we want to give you the best possible advice for your business so you are ready for takeoff with the most important tips and advice. Today’s advice will be all about a roadmap for the most important holidays in Germany and what retail categories you should look out for.


The importance of holiday sales

In our last article we were talking about the 8 golden rules for wholesale preparations for your brand. Now we want to talk a little more about what holidays and special dates are especially important in Germany and will walk you through our roadmap of the ultimate holidays and when you should start with your business preparations.

But before we dive right into this roadmap, we want to pressure the importance of holiday businesses and why they are so important in retail and for you and your brand. For example: Did you know that 19% of the annual German sales alone result from Christmas sales during November and December? For the kids toy companies the annual sales during Christmas sales alone are 28%. Both numbers make up an incredibly big part of the overall annual sales. And you might have guessed it. A lot of the other holidays are filling the rest of these annual sales numbers.

before you start working on your sales

For your sales successfully working out during the holiday seasons you have to keep a few important things in mind:

  • Which seasonal items are suitable for your business and which products do your customers and retailers want?
  • How many of each product do you need for the sale?
  • Where can you order the seasonal goods at what conditions, which materials do you need and how long does the delivery take?
  • Can you present the items attractively for potential retailers?
  • Do you need more marketing material such as product pictures, advertisements or marketing mails?

But what holidays are there that you should look out for? There are quite a few and the following list should help you prepare for them, if you are planning to do that.

 

💕 Valentine’s Day || 14th February

Valentine’s Day is getting more and more important every year. To show loved ones that you care about them with a personal gift is a gesture that is highly appreciated these days. The different ideas for gifts are growing every year. In 2019, searches for “Valentine’s Day gifts” in Germany were 26% higher than the previous year.

Retail categories: Design and gift items, food and chocolate, cards, flowers, coupons for stores or restaurants, fashion and personalized gifts

Target groups: Customers who are celebrating Valentine’s Day, couples, families, gifts that are not too expensive and affordable for a wide range of people

🐇 Easter || April

Easter is a holiday to celebrate with friends and family. To come together to cook and enjoy each other’s company. It is the perfect opportunity to decorate home and garden with spring and Easter themed items. In 2019, search queries for “Easter” in Germany increased by 7% compared to the previous year. Search queries for both “Easter” and “Easter gifts” already start eight weeks before.

Retail categories: Home and garden decoration, Easter themed food and chocolate, cards and gifts, kids toys

Target groups: Customers who are celebrating Easter together, families with children, interior enthusiasts

👩‍🦳 Mother’s Day || May

The importance and popularity of Mother’s day is growing every year and more and more retailers are offering unique gifts for this specific holiday. Just as Valentine’s Day, the attentive gesture is what counts and the possibilities of gift ideas are endless. Search queries for “Mother’s Day” in 2019 increased by 72 % compared to the previous year and already start 4 months before the actual holiday.

Retail categories: Flowers and cards, personalized gifts, food and chocolate, coupons for stores and restaurants, beauty products, design and gift items

Target groups: Families in all age groups, adults and young adults with a steady income

👨‍🦳 Father’s Day || May

Just as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day is growing in popularity. Not only is it a national holiday in Germany but also grows in popularity regarding gifting the person you are thinking about on that day. In 2019, search queries for “Father’s Day gift” in Germany reached an all-time high and were 19% higher than the previous year. Compared to Mother’s Day, however, the gift categories are a little bit different.

Retail categories: Personalized gift, electronics and smart gadgets, fitness and sports gadgets, barbecue themed gifts, build it yourself gift sets, cosmetics, cards, clothing, home and garden decoration and gadgets

Target groups: Families in all age groups, adults and young adults with a steady income

☀ Summer Sales || July

Summer is an especially busy time for sales, especially in the categories of fashion and home and garden decor. It is also the time for vacation and tourism for most people. Most tend to hunt for the next best sale to make the best out of Summer which is a perfect opportunity for various business sectors. German search queries for “Summer Sale” from July to August 2019 were 46% higher than in the same period in 2018.

Retail categories: Fashion, home and garden decoration and gadgets, fitness and sports items, summer related cosmetics and textiles such as towels, souvenirs

Target groups: A wide range of different target groups, depending on the business. From families to single adults in a wide range of different income, tourists, fashionistas, sports enthusiasts

🎒 Back To School || August

Back to school is one of the most important times for parents and their children, especially for first graders. New materials such as backpacks, books, pencils and more are needed and especially businesses in the books and stationery industry are the first place to look for items like that. August was the most popular month to search online for school supplies in Germany in 2019.

Retail categories: Books and stationery, art and school supplies, kids items, electronics, sweets and chocolates

Target groups: Families with children, teenagers, grandparents – all in all kinds of income ranges

🎁 Single’s Day || November

Single’s Day is gaining more and more popularity every year. It was originally invented in China and should give singles the opportunity to treat themselves to affordable gifts that are on sale. Nowadays Single’s Day has spread all over the world and is being celebrated in many countries. The importance of self care and self awareness on that day is getting more attention every year.

Retail categories: Fashion, beauty products and cosmetics, home and garden decoration, electronics and coupons for restaurants

Target groups: Mostly singles in different income categories, young adults who value the importance of self care

🏷 Black Friday and Cyber Monday || November

What originally started in America is now a worldwide trend in all kinds of businesses and stores and a great opportunity for finding the next big sale. For businesses it’s the perfect way to grow their brand awareness and empty out their shelves before Christmas comes around. In 2019, Black Friday and Cyber Monday were the most popular shopping events for the majority of consumers (56%) during the holiday season in Germany. Many consumers are shopping for Christmas gifts during that time as well. However, we want to pressure the importance of shopping for items by small shops and unique brands rather than hunting the next big sale at a big chain. As a brand, don’t be intimidated by the big sale’s prices by big chains. Rather than focusing on offering the lowest prices, you as a brand should focus on growing the awareness of your brand and offering sales that are manageable for you. 

Retail categories: Electronics and smart gadgets, fashion, home and garden decoration, food, beauty products and cosmetics, home gadgets

Target groups: Depending on their interest regarding electronics, fashion or others, sales hunter, a wide range of different income categories

🎄 Christmas Time || December

As said before, Christmas time is the most lucrative time for all kinds of businesses. This includes the actual Christmas holidays and the time before December even starts. In Germany, 20% of shoppers look for gift ideas 3 to 6 months before the actual holiday season.

Retail categories: Kids toys, electronics, personalized gifts, fashion, food, beauty products and cosmetics, adventure coupons, games, handmade items, sweets and chocolates, baked goods

Target groups: There is a wide range of different target groups, each business should focus on their main target group to raise brand and business awareness and work with a theme that fits the Christmas season.

Focus on what is important for your brand

Depending on your business, you can also include other holidays that fit your brand identity. But you should especially pay attention to the most popular holidays to grow as a brand and finding the ideal retailers. Some other helpful tips for your preparations are:

  • Plan in time

Pay attention to delivery deadlines for your materials, any bonuses and other additional agreements. Negotiations can also set you back in your schedule. Don’t forget that the ordered goods also have to be unpacked, labeled and displayed in the retailer’s store.

  • Order enough products

Order sufficient quantities that ideally won’t sell out after a few hours.

  • Do marketing

Draw attention to yourself and your merchandise. Actively use social media channels, the radio or the newspaper to further expand your circle of prospects to gain brand awareness. Coupons are also ideal for acquiring new retailers and keeping existing retailers happy.

  • Inform yourself early

Trade shows often showcase new trends for the next holiday season as early as January and February. Look around there to continue your own planning ahead of time.

  • Managing temporary stands properly

For a temporary booth, you’ll need not only a permit from the city, but also storage space for merchandise, supplies, waste disposal, and a working point-of-sale system. Consider what payment methods you want to offer and accurately calculate all costs due.

Even if there are times when wholesaling seems more difficult, it’s still important to be visible and tell the shops about your great products. Maybe you got some ideas from this article and found inspiration on how to make your ads on FAIRLING interesting.

If this was an old hat for you, you are probably searching for some resellers for your products. We would love to help you find those. Just book a free demo call and we will be very happy to talk with you about your possibilities or answer your questions!


You are a unique brand and want to learn more about wholesale and reach out to potential shops? 

FAIRLING is an online trade fair platform and very easy to use.

 
 

 

Author

Comments are closed.