Don't Have a "Blue" Holiday Sales Season

Today's Wall Street Journal has a lengthy article about retailers
expecting a "blue" holiday sales season of low sales. Unfortunately
this is exactly what will happen to many of them. However, it will
not be because of the war, September 11, economic slowdown or
indifferent shoppers, as so many analysts believe.

The real reason for lackluster sales this holiday season will be due
to companies staying focused on the youth market instead of the
highly lucrative 50+ senior market.

Most companies fail to see that this consumer segment comprises
39% of all goods and services purchased annually and that they
control over 80% of the financial assets in existence today. Seniors
also have 26% more disposable or discretionary income than any
other segment of consumers, and they control 44% of the purchasing
decisions made by all family members.

Corporate America has been so enthralled by E-Commerce and the
Internet for the past 3 years that they have paid very little attention to
the Age Wave that has begun. Hype and Flash have dominated the
business world focus with a heavy move on Out with the Old and In
with the New. At best companies have put any marketing interest
about seniors on the back burner, even though they are aware that
the Baby Boomers are aging past 50 and times are changing.

The playing field is basically empty when it comes to marketing to
seniors. Sharp sellers will take advantage of this unique opportunity
and gain massive market share by catching this Age Wave now. As
the old adage says, "strike while the iron is hot." Believe me, this
market is as "Red-Hot" as a market gets, so strike now.

Timing is Everything and as Zig Ziglar says, "It’s easy to get ahead
when your competition has quit or quit competing." In this case your
competition doesn't even see the prospects, so it's smooth sailing.

Seniorized Factoid: Don't be blue, sell to seniors. They really want
to buy from you.