Christmas Week 4: Halfway There

I expected a weak week thanks to Thanksgiving. I didn’t expect it to be mediocre even by non-holiday standards.  Yet here we are. At least today’s off to a decent start with five (smallish) orders before noon and most of the day still ahead. Black Friday and Small Business Saturday ought to bend these numbers at least a little.

November

Total income: -43.6%
Total COGS: -36.4%
Payroll: -21%

Marketing: +9.8%
Net Income (Profit): -126.5% (-$2,581)

Year to Date 

Total income: -19%
Total COGS: -21.4%
Payroll: -14.4%

Marketing: -6.2%
Net Income (Profit): -302.5% (-$3,067)

It’s hard to put a positive spin on that. The way my accounting calendar works, this year’s  Thanksgiving is one week behind LY’s – that is, I ought to be comparing this week with LY’s previous week. By that rationalization I’d only be running $500 behind LY, well within the power of the next day and a half to cover. Unfortunately, I’m going to run out of weeks.

Christmas this year lasts only seven weeks versus LY’s eight. Since the “lost week” is one of the year’s biggest, this Christmas will come in about $5,000 below LY’s. The bottom line might even finish the year in the red.

Well, it ain’t over til it’s over. I’m done spending money on everything except reorders and advertising. Christmas may be more than halfway over, but the three busiest weeks of the year are ahead. However they stack up historically, I’m going to be working flat-out to service them.

If there's any consolation, it's non-financial: The short season makes Christmas less of an ordeal than usual.