Holiday Blues....

To all my fellow ITB retailers out there…

…A profitable and hopefully minimally painful Holiday season.
May it be equally satisfactory for you and your customer!!!

January can’t get here too quick!!!

Same to you Mark, and all the other ibt-ers. Hoping business is good for you this weekend, and wishing you bustling season. Cheers!

Thankfully, it is looking like December is turning around relative to the rest of the year. 32 more days and I will be here (I wish I could SLEEP till then…):

December has started off gangbusters, and since this is going to be the only (truly) profitable month of 2009, I hope it lasts forever.

Richard

+1

Bonus! Some of the slow movers are all of sudden leaving the building AND there are repeat purchases by some of the customers.

Should we be concerned that you use the singular “customer”? Do you only have one?

December has been good but the shit just really hit the fan today re gift wrapping and deliveries.

shhhh…really, really, good corporate account.

I’m seeing sales down 30% month to date compared to last year (which was not a good year). I’ve heard a wine rep say other shops are seeing the same thing. Maybe it is just the weird OC? Either way, it is discouraging.

We are up about half a percent (after MONTHS of being down significantly). BUT, that could be people shopping early to get out of Dodge and next week could blow…

Good luck out there everybody. And don’t forget to breathe!

Good luck and don’t forget to drink!

Things are really starting to work up to a fever pitch. Our geographic location is not really in a wine conscious neighborhood, so every customer needs help and most are looking for basic stuff. It’s a big store (25K squ/ft.) and we have a lot of first timers in the store. Plus the web sales are just blazing and those guys need help.

It’s great to be busy, just have to stay on top of the wave. (surfer boy reference)

good luck retailers, just remember that a four week busy season isn`t THAT bad. Talk to a winemaker during crush or an accountant around March 1.

Come work the floor in my store…

I’d be interested in hearing what you have to say after 3 14hr days…

Dude, brah! Surf lingo FAIL! You don’t want to stay on top of the wave, or you’ll roll over it! Take a bite and drop down into the blue, baby - get off the soup!

3 - 14 hour days ! we do that 7 days a week pretty much 365, oh we actually closed 1/2 a day Thanksgiving this year and closed June 28 or 29th 2008 for Pinot days and we did close early for Berserkerfest … That’s been my time off!! Not bitchin’ about it, it’s just a fact of life when it’s me & Mr. Mac n Cheez.

I am so full of fail…

[suicide.gif]

Last day off: Aug 27. Next day off: Jan 13. Got a container with 60 new Iberian wines in YESTERDAY while in full sales frenzy mode. Short container of Champagnes that should have been here Dec 10 MIGHT get released on Christmas Eve.

I need a drink and it’s 9:03 AM…

What ya waiting for