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With over a month to go before the 2015 Spring Festival, preparations for the sales peak are already in full swing.

Step 1: Set the Spring Festival marketing theme, progressing layer by layer

The headquarters should set the Spring Festival marketing theme about 40-45 days before the festival, outlining the main line and key points, interlocking from start to finish, with twists and turns, and setting different themes and focuses for each phase. This ensures a perfect combination of customer traffic and product marketing. Once stores understand the promotional theme, they can stock accordingly based on their actual situation.

Key Point 1: Take the lead in creating the Spring Festival marketing atmosphere

During this phase (Jan 5-20), leverage the lingering warmth from Christmas and New Year promotions. Stores can be the first in the town to set up festive decorations as the New Year promotions wind down, hanging large lanterns (obtained from suppliers by purchasing or bought by operations) and playing New Year music (downloaded online or provided by operations). After New Year's Day, there is a small off-season with sales dropping sharply, so as the New Year's Day promotions conclude, the Spring Festival promotions can begin with a bang.

However, it might be too early for full-scale promotions. Focus on creating a buzz; it's okay to be slower on product promotions. The focus can be on clearing inventory from Christmas and New Year promotions, and also run other promotions (buy-one-get-one, discounts, flash sales) to warm up the store. At this stage, first, get customers into the festive mindset, and second, establish a low-price image to attract foot traffic, making customers feel they can buy cheap New Year goods here.

Key Point 2: Focus on home, daily chemical cleaning, apparel, and wedding supplies

At the end of the year, people summarize work, plan budgets, and have a habit of cleaning and renewing their homes. There are also more gatherings with relatives, friends, and colleagues, and some move into new homes before the festival. Additionally, Chinese tradition favors double happiness, so many weddings are scheduled around holidays, especially before the Spring Festival. As the saying goes, "With or without money, bring a wife home for the New Year." Thus, about a month and a half before the festival, apparel, home goods, bedding, cleaning supplies, and wedding supplies are in demand. Stores should focus on promoting these items to align with the season.

This phase is a brief spring for non-food items in the festival promotions; afterward, most special display positions will be given to food, with only a few end caps for paper products.

Therefore, the stocking focus at this time (Dec 25-26) should be on general merchandise, apparel, knitwear, bedding, toiletries, paper products, and some wedding supplies.

Key Point 3: New Year goods kick off, fresh food leads

About twenty days before the festival, people start buying New Year goods, and fresh food is the first priority. Rice, flour, oil, fresh meat, cured products, dried goods, aquatic products, and frozen items will be the focus. At the same time, launch combined promotions like a hot pot festival. This is the critical moment.

Also, consider the promotional strategy for fruits and vegetables. Since it's still early, people won't stock up on these perishables, but they are essential for the festival. So, focus on managing the variety of fruits and vegetables. The fresh food department should introduce new and exotic items to stores, with key displays and promotions, each in small but high-quality quantities, without price concessions for now. This creates a natural impression: "I must come here to buy these things I've never seen before for the New Year!"

Additionally, by January 16, stock up on best-selling New Year foods (such as alcohol, oil, instant drinks, health products, whole boxes of water and milk, and eight-treasure porridge) to prepare for the fourth theme.

Key Point 4: The main event: packaged food takes the stage

This should be integrated into the previous theme (fresh food promotions) but not fully revealed initially. It starts to sell well about twenty days before the festival. This theme should be divided into several sub-phases to progress step by step.

First, large bottled drinks, bulk candy, roasted seeds, preserved fruits, and biscuits take the lead.

This phase runs from twenty days before the festival to New Year's Eve. Prices should fluctuate: first set a few special low prices and a few high prices to create tiers, then level out, then apply uniform discounts, and finally clear out near the 29th of the twelfth lunar month. There is a minor festival (Xiaonian) in between, which is a key point for price adjustments. After Xiaonian, prices drop continuously until the final clearance.

These items start selling well ten days before the festival, with the peak from New Year's Eve to the eighth day of the new year. Alcohol tends to heat up a bit earlier.

Second, Valentine's Day marketing.

Every festival season includes Valentine's Day as an interlude. Although the promotion period is short (less than two or three days), it brings good sales for special categories like chocolate, apparel, and candy. Seize this opportunity to promote leftover bulk goods from New Year's Eve, and if possible, offer exquisite handmade gift packaging.

Finally, the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month.

I won't elaborate, but frozen dumplings and tangyuan always sell out completely. So, the key stocking time for frozen items is about a week before the Lantern Festival, but don't overlook the sales peak for frozen dumplings and tangyuan on New Year's Eve and the second day of the new year (make the first full stock of frozen items on the 27th or 28th of the twelfth lunar month).

Key Point 5: Welcome the New Year with a big clearance (around the 11th to 20th of the first lunar month)

After the New Year, work resumes, consumer enthusiasm wanes, and wallets are lighter. A heavy clearance can re-engage customers.

At this stage, be aggressive. For items needing clearance (clothing, seasonal small appliances), even a 50% discount is acceptable. But also think about spring coming—should we lay out a red carpet for seasonal items? It's truly a case of "you sing and I take the stage." This phase is not only a major time for clearing winter seasonal goods but also an important phase for launching spring products.

Step 2: Stocking and returns

This step is the foundation of the previous one and is closely linked. Generally, stores should start preparing New Year goods a month before the festival (headquarters should stock up one and a half to two months in advance). Submit stocking plans to suppliers and purchasing (planning department) in advance, and arrange timely replenishment if insufficient.

Large-scale ordering for Spring Festival goods should end by the 24th of the twelfth lunar month (January 27), but replenishment can be phased. Around New Year's Eve, gift items can be urgently replenished; for particularly scarce items, contact purchasing (planning department) to arrange delivery with fresh food vehicles.

From the first to the seventh day of the new year, few suppliers will deliver, so ensure sufficient inventory beforehand. Of course, items with end caps and promoters are exceptions.

Stock levels should reference the same period last year, aiming for two to three times the actual sales of the previous year. If suppliers promise to accept returns, you can stock a bit more.

After the New Year, there will be large-scale returns, especially for packaged food, as spring may bring humid weather, causing food to become damp and moldy. The sooner returns are processed, the better.

Step 3: Group buying

Group buying for the Spring Festival should be prepared before Christmas, with plans made in early January. At that time, allocate group buying tasks, clarify incentive measures, and promote.

For physical goods group buying, set multiple themes and plans to match different customer needs.

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