When the holidays roll around, many industries and their respective businesses find a way to make their goods and services special in a relevant manner. When something is made special, customers are more likely to buy it.
Commercial holidays actually give businesses a free chance to sell their items and make more profits than the rest of the year. Even holidays like Christmas are now considered to be more commercial and of less religious significance in many countries, including the United States. Such holidays are like advertisement campaigns in themselves, with consumers clamoring to buy, subscribe, or have experiences to celebrate.
Candy
No matter what holiday is coming up, there’s always a need for candy in every household. On Thanksgiving, people give candy to the kids coming over to their house. On Halloween, there’s a tradition of giving out candy to trick-or-treaters that come to your doorstep. On Christmas, people buy candy canes and several other forms of sweet treats to enjoy the festive season more. With Easter giving customers marshmallow peeps and chocolate eggs, such companies are assured of high sales in any case. Chocolate sales also reach an all-time high during Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day.
All of this means that the candy businesses conduct booming sales when it’s the holiday season. Even if someone has given up eating candy for health purposes, they’d definitely buy candy if there’s a good sale going on. If nothing else, there’s a form of candy competition going on with houses competing to give out the best candy or having the most Easter eggs for their children.
Infomercials
Any business that deals in infomercials is likely to profit greatly when the holidays are near. Many people don’t want to brave the crowds in the physical markets, preferring to shop from home. While online shopping is on the rise, infomercials are still very much relevant. They feature the products on sale in great detail, so the customer gets a good idea of what’s in store. Anyone can simply dial in to place their order right at the same moment.
Infomercials usually air on television late at night, with unique products like underwater razors, Snuggies, and other options presented at low prices. There are also several unisex items, so customers can opt to buy more than one units to serve as gifts for everyone.
Photography Studios
The tradition of sending out Christmas cards with a family photo is not dead yet. Even though digital pictures are the norm throughout the year, the holidays are when professional photography is actually relevant. Many families want to present an absolutely perfect image when others see their cards, so a professional is the way to go.
Other than Christmas, many people would also like to have their family portraits done around Thanksgiving. Studios might rent out their services around this time of the year for all the parties going on. This would certainly make their profits reach high levels.
Shopping Malls
Malls of all shapes and sizes typically get crowded when it’s the holiday season. Everyone’s shopping in advance or going frantic over last-minute purchases. Any place that has shops would probably be crammed especially full when New Years and Christmas are new. This sort of rush isn’t really a pleasant experience for shoppers. However, it does mean huge profit margins for the sellers and mall tenants.
When shoppers are in a rush to find good gifts, they’re also more likely to pay higher prices. Plus, there are special editions of just about every single item, which shopper pick up in order to help celebrate the season with more fervor. The mob mentality might also lead people to buy more than they meant to, just because they get caught up in the atmosphere.
According to surveys, there are more and more shoppers going to the mall during the holidays. Online shopping might be convenient, but many still prefer to actually touch items before they make a purchase.
Airlines
The airline industry is rarely slow, but it gets especially full when the holidays come around every year. Flying is an efficient way to get anywhere, so many people prefer to fly when going home for the holidays. These include students on the Christmas break, family members reuniting for the season, or people traveling for a vacation.
No matter what holiday is near, one can usually assume that the airlines are fully booked. Even the cheapest option is quite expensive. Most people would prefer to see their friends or family at all costs, so they willingly pay the inflated prices. Hence, the airlines benefit with the higher profits even if they have to work round the clock this time of the year.
Restaurants
When shoppers get exhausted, they usually want to relax and eat a nice meal at a restaurant instead of cooking at home. A gift card for a classy restaurant is also a good last-minute idea, while many families go out for dinner to enjoy themselves properly. All this demand means that restaurants conduct a booming business when it’s the holiday season.
Even if the food isn’t the best around, the luxury of someone cooking for them is enough for people to pay top dollar at this time. All the restaurants really need is to stay open and make sure the taste and quality is decent. The can also consider setting the music and decorations to reflect the holiday at hand. For instance, they could put on Christmas songs and carols during the month of December.
Some restaurants even offer special deals, themed dishes, or coupons according to the season. This could work to bring in even more customers.
Conclusion
During and just before the holidays, people are actually looking to buy much more than at any other time. This is not just to celebrate, but also to fit in. Buying Christmas, Mother’s Day, and Thanksgiving gifts are a tradition in American households everywhere. Hence, companies can take great advantage from this need to buy, with the above ten being among the most profitable.