Latest news with #holidayseason
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Christmas In July: Why E-Commerce Retailers Must Prepare Now For Peak Season Demand
Greg Hewitt, CEO of DHL Express U.S. While most consumers are still focused on summer, retailers—particularly those in e-commerce—know that the busiest time of year is fast approaching. For them, the holiday season begins now. In fact, planning for peak season is a year-round discipline, and by July, that planning needs to accelerate. Last year, U.S. holiday e-commerce sales reached $241 billion, an 8.7% increase from the previous year, according to Adobe Insights. Globally, sales totaled more than $1.2 trillion. While broader economic factors may influence 2025 outcomes, industry forecasts continue to point to growth. What's certain is this: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular must be proactive. The holiday period brings heightened competition, increased customer expectations and significant logistics challenges—especially for those expanding into international markets. By focusing on key areas now, retailers can position themselves for a successful peak season. Start promotions early and align supply accordingly. The holiday shopping window is beginning to shift. Last year, as many as 8% of consumers started their holiday purchasing as early as September. Launching promotions in advance can help businesses meet demand and stay ahead of the curve. This requires thoughtful inventory planning. Now is the time to evaluate supply forecasts, secure stock and ensure fulfillment capabilities are aligned with projected volume. Additionally, consider strategies to increase basket size, such as bundling or cross-selling, so each customer interaction yields stronger returns. Leverage AI to enhance support and marketing. AI has become a valuable resource for businesses seeking to improve efficiency and customer experience. AI-powered chat tools, for example, can assist with customer inquiries, personalize product recommendations and guide users through the shopping journey. On the marketing front, AI plays an increasing role in search and product discovery. As consumers rely more heavily on AI-enabled platforms to compare prices and find products, it's important to explore how it can enhance your digital strategy. For those who have not yet integrated AI into their operations, now is the time to consult with experts and begin building a road map. Prioritize a strong mobile experience. Mobile commerce continues to grow at a rapid pace. In fact, mobile is expected to account for 59% of all global e-commerce sales in 2025, according to SellersCommerce. In the U.S., more than three-quarters of adults shop via smartphone, and mobile shopping apps account for billions of hours of engagement worldwide. Ensuring your mobile site is optimized, intuitive and capable of handling volume is critical—not just for domestic sales, but also for international shoppers. An investment in mobile usability now can directly influence performance during the busiest time of the year. Offer transparent, customer-centric shipping options. Today's customers expect clear, competitive shipping policies—especially during the holidays. That often includes free shipping or returns above a certain threshold. As you refine your peak-season offer, determine whether free or expedited shipping will be part of your value proposition, and whether that will extend to international markets. These policies should be easy to find—clearly displayed on both desktop and mobile platforms, as well as in marketing communications. In addition, be sure to publish accurate holiday shipping deadlines in advance. A trusted shipping and logistics partner can assist in mapping out transit times by region and identifying cutoff dates that ensure on-time delivery. Plan ahead for cross-border commerce. International expansion remains a compelling growth opportunity for e-commerce sellers. Advancements in shipping technology now make it easier to manage international deliveries, offer real-time tracking and provide customers with transparent payment of duties and taxes at checkout. If your business is targeting global markets this holiday season, develop a plan that clearly communicates shipping costs, delivery expectations and tax implications. Your customer support team should also be prepared to answer questions related to tariffs or customs processes. Proactive communication builds trust and repeat business. Preparation Is The Best Strategy Black Friday and Cyber Monday may feel distant, but for e-commerce businesses, they are just around the corner. The companies that succeed during peak season are those that plan early, act strategically and keep the customer experience at the forefront. By taking the right steps today—around promotion, technology, logistics and service—you'll be better positioned to meet demand, exceed expectations and grow your business during the most important quarter of the year. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Japan Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Japan Times
Toy makers nix batteries and other materials to save costs amid tariff war
This holiday season, U.S. parents may have to make an extra pit stop — not for toys, but for the batteries that power them, as manufacturers pare down on frills and packaging to cut costs amid rising tariffs. Toy makers that serve retail giants like Walmart, Target and Amazon are reducing the number of accessories in toy kitchen sets, removing batteries from electronic playsets, simplifying doll makeup and reducing packaging, as a 30% blanket tariff currently imposed on Chinese imports puts a damper on their bottom lines. The duties imposed on China by U.S. President Donald Trump are particularly painful for companies like Hasbro and Mattel, as 80% of toys sold in the U.S. come from China, according to trade group The Toy Association. Educational toy maker Popular Playthings — whose China-made animal sets, trucks, and magnetic food sets can be bought on Amazon — is delaying and paring down a magnetic cake set it had planned to launch in June, CEO Jason Cheung said in an interview. The company is reducing the power of the magnet, using cheaper packaging, and removing one of two serving plates that were to come with the set — all while upping the price from $29.99 to $34.99. "Originally it would come with two plates so two kids can have cake at the same time,' Cheung said. Now, "one (child) will serve, while the other can eat." "Still multiplayer, but less cost," Cheung said, while adding "the original item would have been better." Toys are a top category in the U.S. holiday shopping season, the biggest spending season of the year. Adobe Analytics projected an $8.1 billion online spend on toys last holiday season, marking a 5.8% increase from the previous year. Toy maker Basic Fun!, which sources most of its products from China, makes 40% of its annual sales in North America through Amazon, meaning the company can't risk removing merchandise from the ubiquitous e-commerce platform this holiday season, said CEO Jay Foreman. The company, which also sells to Walmart and Target, is offering retailers the option to remove batteries from the packages of its electronic toys, and plans to reduce or remove its toys' packaging in 2026, said Foreman. "The consumer will either pay more or get less value," Foreman said. Some companies, like Bratz and L.O.L. Surprise! dolls-maker MGA Entertainment, are moving supply chains out of China — a costly endeavor — while others are reducing the number of items available on shelves this winter. Isaac Larian, the CEO of MGA Entertainment, one of the biggest U.S. privately-held toy companies, said it takes nine to 12 months to make cost-cutting changes to toys. MGA is planning to modify its products for later next year. "But we cannot take the magic out of the box," Larian said. "Too much cost-cutting destroys the play value for the toy, and you turn off the kids." Historically, sector giant Mattel has invested in more "playable packaging" — making the boxes part of the game itself — to reduce costs. Hasbro, which sources roughly 50% of its U.S. toy and game volume from China, said on a Wednesday earnings call it "retooled and reimagined" its board games Candy Land and Operation, as part of a larger initiative to revamp its materials sourcing, manufacturing processes, designs and packaging to help with cost reductions amid tariffs. ECR4Kids — whose roughly 1,000 school and daycare supplies range from toys and games to bookshelves and play mats — also sources primarily from China, and makes "well over 50%" of its revenue from selling wholesale to Amazon, according to managing partner Lee Siegel. "We're very tethered to Amazon," Siegel said, explaining that he can't make substantive changes to the products he sells on the platform, including a $175 foam climbing set for toddlers. For some products, though, the company is reducing variations in color and model, and prioritizing more efficient packaging that uses every inch of space. These kinds of efficiency efforts were on Siegel's radar even before tariffs, he said. "But now, you really have no choice."
Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
How to holiday with billionaires: no selfies or splitting the bill
Now that holiday season is here, the barefoot billionaires are flocking off on their yachts or to their villas and favourite six-star hotels. If you get invited to join them, lucky you. For the uninitiated, I will share a few unspoken rules. But first, if you get the invite, where might you be heading this year? The hot ticket for summer 2025 is an old favourite: the French Riviera. After a few years of being dismissed for being too clichéd/nouveau/Instagrammable/packed with flashy oligarchs (now banned), the Riviera is enjoying a wholesale renaissance, with private plane-loads of American billionaires (see the Peltz family with Brooklyn Beckham) chasing a bit of old-school European glamour at a very favourable exchange rate. Alarmed at being elbowed out of their traditional stamping grounds, the toffs are also striking back. They'll be holing up once again in their manicured estates around Nice and in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat — where Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber has a home, and Sir Elton John is nearby on Mont Boron — and air-kissing in the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes. Down the coast they'll be settling into pastel-coloured villas around the village of Ramatuelle near St Tropez, or checking into spa hotel La Réserve Ramatuelle and snagging front-row loungers at local beach club Loulou Ramatuelle. Before any arrivals, the local staff — the ones who have a relationship with the fishermen, vegetable sellers and restaurant maître d's — will have the larders stocked and storm shutters thrown open onto olive-filled gardens with uninterrupted views of Pampelonne beach. The large yachts anchor here because they're too big for the busy marina in St Tropez. You'd never actually stay in St Tropez these days, but an afternoon ashore is still well worth it — a visit to the bijou Hermès store followed by lunch on the terrace at the three Michelin-starred La Vague d'Or, where reservations are now closed for the summer. Then everyone converges on the beach at Le Club 55, spiritual home of the barefoot billionaire. Not heading to the Côte d'Azur? I have friends who swear by Hvar in Croatia, calling it the St Tropez of the Balkans. The Laganini restaurant and bar in Palmizana on Sveti Klement, a private islet close to Hvar, has been billed 'the new Club 55'. I prefer the old one, but then Hvar is popular with the yacht crowd because it is one of the cheapest ports in the Med to refuel. They love Montenegro for the same reason. Or there's La Residencia in Deia, on Mallorca, or the Cyclades, but it won't be Mykonos this year — too much like Annabel's on a Thursday night. A yacht itinerary is more likely to include the lower-key islands of Paros, Antiparos, Naxos and foodie haven Sifnos. Bodrum and the southern coast of Turkey, once popular, are deemed simply too oligarch-y these days, as it's one of the few places sanctioned Russians can still go. For different reasons there is less interest in heading across the Atlantic this year to playgrounds such as the Hamptons. It's all Europe-looking in 2025. But not everywhere. Como is off the list thanks to the line of tourist buses that now snake around the lakes. The hills around here, in my view, used to have some of the best under-the-radar local restaurants in Italy. Now catering for hoards of picky tourists, they serve gluten-free pasta instead of their grandmother's recipe for ragu. Il Gatto Nero was everyone's secret Como tip until it was George Clooney's. • The White Lotus is nothing: this is how the super‑rich really travel Former fans of Como, like me, are heading to Copenhagen. From here you can easily access the fjords, whether by superyacht or helicopter, but it's the city's claim as the coolest and chicest in Europe that appeals. Noma, with its three Michelin stars, is a cliché and its moment has passed. Geranium is where everyone goes now — everyone who can spend upwards of £500 per head on a meal, that is. Securing a table at this 12-table, 3 Michelin-starred restaurant is not the ultimate status symbol. The real flex is a pre-service tour of the open-plan kitchen and co-ordinating calendars with chef Rasmus Kofoed, who runs private cooking lessons at his finca in Spain. The Hotel d'Angleterre is Copenhagen's answer to the Ritz in Paris. Here you can ask the concierge to send a member of staff to queue at Juno the Bakery for fresh cardamom buns brought back still warm in time for your morning coffee. And the hotel's Balthazar Champagne Bar serves vintage Dom Pérignon by the glass. Friends who like to holiday in Italy are this year heading to the Amalfi coast or Pantelleria, a windswept volcanic rock off the coast of Sicily where Giorgio Armani is patron saint. His white-domed dammuso with thick stone walls is the most distinctive on the island. There are no beaches here, which means no influencers, but you can still jump into its crystal turquoise waters from the rocks if you are at a private estate, or dive in from the deck of a yacht. But before you slip on the linen suit and board someone else's boat or enter their blissfully appointed island getaway, here are a few pointers to remember. Wherever you are invited, it is never acceptable to show up with a mountain of luggage, so take Joan Collins and her stack of monogrammed Louis Vuitton trunks off your moodboard. On yachts, hard-sided suitcases (impossible to stow) and wheeled luggage (liable to scuff interiors) are frowned upon. If you know, you know: seasoned travellers arrive with soft, worn leather holdalls. I am not a natural seafarer, but cruising the Amalfi coast during high season aboard a very large and well kitted-out boat is, I must admit, a transcendent experience. Typically, my host invites a few close friends — the inner circle — to spend a few weeks on board. Then a tender is dispatched to collect additional guests from ports en route. The stragglers may not have made the first cut but are deemed fun enough for a night or two. I am one such guest. And I'm always grateful for the privilege. My favourite itinerary is anchoring off Portofino or further south in Positano, to allow time for exploring the mainland as well as islands such as Capri (where you can make like Jackie Onassis and head to the shopping street Via Camerelle for your Van Cleef & Arpels or La Perla fix). An idyllic day in Positano involves plates of lobster linguine with lemon cream at Terrazza Celè followed by shopping at Emporio Sirenuse, the 'hotel shop' in Le Sirenuse, where Italian aesthete Carla Sersale sells ceramics, linen, raffia and perfume by local artisans, all with a stylish billionaire-friendly upgrade. Then I like to watch the sun set over aperitivos on the terrace before hopping back on board. If cabin fever strikes and you feel you must spend a night on terra firma, I would skip anything as close to the shore as Positano and brave the corkscrew drive further up the coast to Ravello and the Palazzo Avino. Ask for breakfast to be served on your private vine-covered veranda. When it comes to packing, you won't need industrial-sized suncream — on a yacht there will be copious amounts of it in all the outdoor spaces as well as in the staterooms. On my summer trips I just take a few pieces in breathable linen; an oversized silk scarf from Hermès; a large straw hat; swimwear and as many pairs of sunglasses as I can find. On a yacht, highly polished floors are a point of pride for boat crews, so guests will be barefoot on board. One pair of shoes — suede loafers by Tod's or Aurélien — should be enough for day trips. As a rule, all Mediterranean dinners — be they on a boat or in a friend's villa or a Michelin-starred restaurant — will combine fancy food with a relaxed dress code, which can be tricky to interpret. Flip-flops or slippers are fine at dinner, but show up in shorts and you will probably get struck off the guest list. A long silk slip or chinos and a shirt are perfect; no accessories needed. It's standard practice for a property manager or personal assistant to call ahead and check on guest preferences. It is also standard — or should be — for the guest to thank them politely and leave it at that. Refrain from reading out the results of your latest bloodwork confirming your microbiome prefers basmati to black rice. If you require ceremonial-grade matcha for your morning brew, bring your own. I'm exhausted by everyone's ever shifting dietary choices (oat milk was the best until it was the worst; coconut oil will give you a glow-up or clog your arteries). When I host at my weekend home in Burford, I skip the pre-arrival interrogation and quietly stock a few non-dairy and vegan options. If they're not up to scratch, I won't lose sleep over it. Since I gave up eating meat, I have sat through many meals pretending to eat rather than embarrassing my hosts. A friend who is about to host a group of writers at her home in Vilamoura in the Algarve sent me a screenshot of the pre-arrival requests made by a well-known lifestyle columnist: raw yoghurt and activated nuts at breakfast, scent-free sheets at night. Her caption to me read, 'Are we hosting Gwyneth?' The pressure of picking a present for the host with the most (and then some) is enough to put you off a holiday, free though it might be. Be reassured, your host is not looking to be compensated for meals and board. I always try to go for a clever gift — say, a monogrammed bookmark or a first edition of Liar's Poker. Years ago I made the rookie mistake of buying the most expensive wine I could afford as a gift on a weekend at a friend's India Mahdavi-designed chalet in Megève. My host made a point of graciously showing the large bottle of Bordeaux to the rest of the party, saying he would save it for when it had been properly decanted. It was only later, when I noticed his vast wine cave in the basement, that I discovered he was an enthusiast with hundreds of exquisite bottles. When, in spite of my rather lame gift, we were invited back, I baked a cake and was chuffed that it was quickly sliced up and served. While we are on the subject of holidaying in the Alps, most of the one percenters I know still wouldn't bother in the summer, even if they have the best chalet in the village, because their favourite restaurants and boutiques won't be open until ski season. You'll find those heading to the mountains at Eriro in Ehrwald, Austria. Its nine suites are booked lock, stock and barrel for months ahead by families looking to coax their digitally exhausted teenagers and own workaholic tendencies into a detox (no wi-fi is the default; the password is locked away unless otherwise agreed upon). And you pay £1,500 per night for the privilege. Or, for those who like cooler climes, there's Eleven Deplar Farm in Iceland, perched on the wild rugged slopes of the country's remote Troll Peninsula. Best known for its heliskiing, it's the spot for salmon fishing in summer. For £40,000 per night you can buy out the 13-room Scandi-chic lodge and house for up to 26 guests — a steal when you consider the cheapest room is £5,000 per night. A few summers ago, en route to a wedding in Saint-Paul de Vence, one of the oldest medieval towns on the French Riviera, I made an overnight stop at a friend's clifftop villa overlooking the Mediterranean. The host — scion of a venerable banking dynasty — expressed his views on discretion in a characteristically elegant manner. Alongside the jaw-dropping views and threadbare Aubusson rugs, each guest room had a handwritten note encouraging us 'to make memories, not content' and refrain from taking pictures indoors. A gentle reminder that this was, above all, a family home. Even when there's no danger of pictures being flogged to the tabloids, it's impossible to relax around someone armed with a smartphone and not afraid to use it. Resist the temptation to take a selfie with every meal served and do not facetime your cousins in Cornwall from the skylounge of someone else's yacht, panning slowly so they can 'feel like they're here'. They're not. And the next time you may not be either. Picture this: a hard-won table on the sun-dappled terrace of La Colombe d'Or in Saint-Paul de Vence laden with platters of grilled fish and jeroboams of rosé. As the meal winds down, one guest — eyes darting towards the bill — loudly insists on paying their share. Or £47.50 of it, since they 'weren't really drinking'. Don't be that person. No one in the top tax bracket is looking to be reimbursed for what they spend on a good time with friends. What they are looking for — what they will remember — is appreciation. One can express that in so many ways that don't involve using Splitwise. One of the most gracious gestures came from a cousin's boyfriend, a photographer who was relatively unknown at the time but whose work now regularly features in Vogue, who joined us for a six-star holiday in Rajasthan: think palace hotels and a private chef. He didn't pay for any of it, nor was he expected to. A few weeks later, we each received envelopes of beautiful black-and-white prints of ourselves. No one remembered whether he'd contributed to the rosé fund when he made us feel like we were in a Wes Anderson film. Whether in a castello in Tuscany or on a yacht off Montenegro, it takes meticulous planning to move a posse of guests from one highly sought hotspot to the next in peak season. Don't derail it with a casual suggestion to swing by the gelato place that keeps popping up on your Instagram feed. If you'd like to contribute a meal or outing to the schedule, clear it with your host well in advance. Make a reservation yourself and — this is crucial — pick up the tab at the end without calling attention to it. If it was your suggestion, you pay. Just make sure you can afford it: the chicest summer scene in Europe often unfolds at deceptively simple-looking beach-shack restaurants, so you may require nerves of steel — or, at the very least, a platinum credit card. I learnt this the hard way on a Balearic cruise aboard a friend's yacht when I organised lunch for the group at Juan y Andrea, a restaurant on the beach of Formentera. I was introduced to it by a cousin who was a very generous host on a previous trip. Guests can show up in swimwear; the lobster, calamari and catch of the day are spectacular — and priced per 100g. Lunch for 20 quickly outstripped my monthly mortgage, before anyone ordered champagne. Which is a neat segue into my final piece of advice. Even in the most gilded surroundings, try not to lose sight of what your friends value about you. Is it your sense of humour? Your ability to defuse tense situations? Your concern for the child who is unhappy at boarding school? Show up as funny, kind and curious and try not to fret about whether or not you can afford to return the hospitality you have been shown. Better still, show your gushing appreciation of this summer's most popular holiday flex — the historian or archaeologist, brought along with the chef and PT to give extra panache to the museum and ruins visits.
Bloomberg
7 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Emirates Adds Mauritius Flight as Island Mulls Opening to Rivals
Emirates is ramping up its presence in Mauritius by adding a third daily flight to the island nation, seeking to buttress its position as the country considers opening up to other carriers. Starting in December, the peak of the holiday season travel, the world's largest airline will offer another service to the Indian Ocean hotspot using a Boeing Co. 777 twin-aisle jetliner, the carrier said. That's on top of two daily flights between Dubai and Mauritius now with the giant Airbus SE A380 double deckers.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Hasbro Is Telling Parents to Buy 'Hot' Toys Early. Here's Why.
Shoppers may have to be scrappier this holiday season. Retailers may run out of in-demand toys this winter, said Chris Cocks, CEO of the toy and game company Hasbro (HAS), on Wednesday. The government's continually evolving trade policy has led some retailers to delay their orders, taking a "cautious" approach to inventory, which may make it harder for Hasbro to replenish their shelves, Cocks said on the company's second-quarter earnings call. 'A lot of hot products are going to likely be out of stock this holiday," Cocks said, citing products including Play-Doh Barbie, Nano-Mals, and baby Evie. "We're just not going to be able to [replenish] them,' Cocks said according to a transcript made available by AlphaSense. 'If you're a mom or a dad, you're probably going to want to go and buy that early.' Delayed holiday orders contributed to a 16% year-over-year drop in revenue last quarter for Hasbro's consumer products segment, which includes action figures, stuffed animals, and other toys, said CFO Gina Goetter. Americans have been hitting stores earlier during recent back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons as they look to save, according to the National Retail Federation. Consumers are likely to start looking for gifts early this winter, especially if they're concerned about shortages, said Katherine Cullen, vice president of industry and consumer insights at the NRF. 'They want it to feel special for their kids,' said Cullen in a webinar Wednesday. Shoppers may need to be more discerning about who they buy for, perhaps pulling back "on how they define who their family is: maybe focusing more on who their core family is, their immediate family … rather than buying for extended family, buying for acquaintances," said Cullen. Hasbro shares were down less than 1%, closing at $76.84 on Wednesday. They have gained 37% this year. Read the original article on Investopedia Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
