Retail Tip of the Week #10: Seasonal Planning Done Properly

Here’s your next Tip of the Week - and it’s one that quietly separates reactive retailers from confident ones.

This week’s focus is seasonal planning.

Most independent retailers don’t struggle because they’re bad at what they do.

They struggle because they’re always planning too late.

When seasonal thinking only starts a few weeks before it’s needed, everything feels rushed.

Decisions are reactive.

Margins get squeezed.

Teams feel pressured.

Opportunities get missed.

Seasonal planning done properly doesn’t mean complex spreadsheets or long meetings.

It simply means thinking one season ahead.

What’s coming next?

What will customers expect?

What worked last year - and what didn’t?

Here’s your quick win for this week:

Spend 30 minutes looking beyond the current season.

Not to plan everything, just to remove surprises.

Because in retail, pressure usually comes from timing, not capability.

When you plan earlier, you sell with more confidence, work with more clarity, and lead with far less stress.

Food for Thought.

Have a great day,

Mark