Spring is to us in the sunglasses business what fall is to makers of all things pumpkin spice. This is the time of year when we have the opportunity to shake off the winter doldrums with new designs in a variety of shapes and colors. The only question is this: are you ready for spring?
Work Something with Easter
The winter months have Christmas and New Year's as centerpiece holidays. In spring, the one big holiday is Easter. There is no reason that eyewear retailers shouldn't take advantage of it to boost sales. Indeed, the Easter season is the perfect season for introducing new designer sunglasses.
Does your shop carry sunglasses for children? If not, you are missing out on a fairly strong market segment. This year would be a great year to introduce children sunglasses by offering a special Easter promotion. Sunglasses are a great substitute for chocolate and jellybeans. They do not pack unwanted calories and they are good for the eyes.
For the adults, think of ways to tie designer sunglasses to spring fashions. Spring is a good time to introduce your customers to different colors. For example, white and yellow frames are perfect for spring fashions. Unlike black and silver, bright yellows, greens, and blues can really make a new spring outfit pop.
Evaluate Your Inventory
We would be remiss if we talked about getting ready for spring without mentioning inventory. As a retailer, you know you always have to be a season ahead for inventory purposes. Hopefully, you have already thought about your spring inventory. If not, now is the time to evaluate what you have in storage.
Last month we published a post discussing five trends we think will be significant for 2020. At the top of the list are cat eye frames. We see strong indicators suggesting that cat eyes will trend upward through the spring and summer. That being the case, cat eyes are good to stock for spring sales. They just seem to go perfectly with spring dresses and those wide-brimmed sun hats.
Another trend likely to be big this year is the oversized frame. Consumers are latching on to oversized sunglasses with the understanding that these offer a bit of extra protection for the skin around the eyes. We suggest making this particular trend a focus for spring.
Discount Winter Inventory
Between now and the start of spring, you undoubtedly will have some winter inventory to move. The less you hold over for next winter, the better for your bottom line. Thus, discounting winter inventory should be on the table. How deeply you discount really depends on your inventory levels and margins.
The general rule is to begin discounting at a minimal rate. As the weeks tick by, you can deepen the discounts to move more inventory. Your goal is to sell as much winter inventory as possible so that it does not become an expensive overhead that costs you money and gathers dust on the shelves.
Spring is but a few short weeks away. When it finally arrives, your customers will emerge from their homes in search of that next pair of designer sunglasses. If you are not ready for them, start getting ready now.
