In the Year of the Rooster, Will You Be Crowing About Your Business?

When many Western consumers consider the biggest retail periods of the year, visions of Black Friday madness and back-to-school shopping come to mind. But if you’re thinking globally, not locally, you’ll realize that the Chinese New Year is also a massive retail holiday, one that affects businesses all around the world.

What is Chinese New Year?

This year, the holiday begins on January 27 (New Year’s Eve) and lasts for seven days, ending on February 2. While the origin of the holiday dates back thousands of years, the celebration as it is recognized today (also called Spring Festival) dates back to when the country was primarily an agricultural society. This week-long break gave farmers time to rest and prepare for the next season, and the rest of the citizenry a chance to focus on home and family. Elders give money to children and practice rituals that are said to bring good luck and longevity to their loved ones.

Today, many Chinese families enjoy the annual festivals (including televised events) and downtime afforded them by the national holiday. And where there’s idle time and prosperity, there are companies creating opportunities for profit.

Why Should Retailers Pay Attention to Chinese New Year?

Look at Amazon. Many of their vendors are promoting merchandise (with a particular emphasis on luxury goods) that is associated with the annual celebration. Apple has Chinese New Year wallpapers available for their products. Harrod’s, a UK institution, is recognizing the holiday with assorted souvenirs. You can even send a Chinese New Year greeting card via Zazzle.

For years, this has been a massive event in China. There’s more rail and air travel as people visit family, and many businesses shut down for the week. The stock market closes, a break that traditionally wreaks havoc with the country’s economic data at the beginning of the year. Factories also shutter for the holiday, which means that exporting comes to a crawl, affecting businesses and their logistics all over the planet.

With this kind of impact on global retail, many businesses will find themselves in urgent need of increased support. While some brands recognize the ramifications of a disruption to one of the world’s largest economies, they may be unprepared to meet the demand of their customers, who have become accustomed to immediate gratification.

The wise move is to recognize and prepare for the effect on mainstream retail that this large-scale holiday celebration can have. Position yourself to ramp up and scale down as your business warrants. Our on-demand services empower businesses just like yours to achieve maximum scalability through a cost-effective solution that provides you with the coverage you need, when you need it. Talk about good fortune — consider that our red envelope gift to all of our fabulous clients!