The Perils Of Being A Retail Editor During The Holiday Season
By Debbie Hauss
I feel like I need to start this column with an apology to those who have dedicated the better part of the last six months to trying to figure out how to win the battle of Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2012. I know, intellectually, that this time of year is vitally important for retailers, retail solution providers and our overall economy. In my heart, though, I want the noise to go away.
I have a feeling that many of you also would like the “noise” to go away but are afraid to say it out loud, so I will do it for you.
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That said, we are retail editorial professionals. We started our Holiday 2012 coverage back in June, with the publication of our Holiday Outlook Guide. That is the time, most industry insiders admit, when the retail industry needs to set strategies for the holidays. In reality, though, many don’t have their strategies in place until after the Back-to-School season has expired and beyond.
Since then, we have published a number of articles and infographics discussing the looming holiday season. Here’s a selection:
· Email Best Practices For The 2012 Holiday Season
· ForeSee, Millenial Media Share Mobile Trends, Holiday Expectations
· Avoiding Mistakes That Could Halt Holiday Revenues
· Is Your Site Ready For The Holiday Season? (infographic)
· Last-Minute Changes Could Impact 2012 Holiday Retail Success
· 2012 Holiday Season Delivers Overall Positive Outlook For Retailers
And, our holiday coverage will continue during this week pre-Thanksgiving, post-Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas, and into the January post-holiday recap. So certainly be on the lookout for continuing brilliant coverage of this vitally important topic.
As a human being, though, I continue to be dismayed by the fight for the earliest post-turkey dinner sales. Target, Walmart and Toys R Us certainly know how to elicit a strong reaction out of today’s deal-conscious shoppers. And whether or not those shoppers empathize with the employees who are giving up their time with family and possibly risking their personal well-being to host the hordes on Thanksgiving night, they will be in line hoping to be one of the first to get that $800 TV for $180.
I wish all the retailers the best. I also wish for all shoppers to stay safe. If you see someone get knocked over as the doors to the stores open, please try to help them up.
Follow Debbie on Twitter: @DHauss
