All Change: End of Summer and Beginning of Autumn for Online Retailers

    HERTFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND, September 11, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- As the August bank holiday ends, online retailers are putting away their stocks of summer sandals and replacing them with leaf kicking boots and warmer footwear for the cool Autumn season.

Fitness Footwear is just one of many online retailers who have to quickly adapt to this sudden shift in the seasons and consumer spending.

"One day sandals are flying off the shelves," said Fitness Footwear MD Luke Barlow "the next day they're not and suddenly it's time to change all of our stock management and onsite promotions."

The problem for retailers comes with knowing exactly when to stop promoting their summer brands and start to focus on their autumn and winter fashion. The cut off date for summer is extremely variable, being influenced by date, weather and a number of economic factors.

While brands such as fit flops and Birkenstock shoes have provided Fitness Footwear with a stable cash flow during the hot summer months, the online retailer must now continue to grow through its outdoor brands, which see a surge in demand from September through to February.

It's important that any retailer is able to rely on their catalogue of brands in this way in order to maintain business through difficult months and reap the benefits during the height of summer and the lead up the Christmas.

As a company that continues to grow year on year, Fitness Footwear is branching out with a number of new brands for the Autumn/Winter season, including Berghaus and The North Face. North Face shoes have already proven to be in high demand by Fitness Footwear's large customer base of outdoor enthusiasts, which has caused stocks to sell out faster than the retailer can order them in.

However, just because the summer is over, doesn't mean that fashion isn't the big seller in cold weather conditions.

When it comes to Autumn leaf-kicking boots, Caterpillar shoes are the must have boot for men with many fur lined styles for women as well. The Caterpillar Colorado remains the classic men's fashion boot year on year, while the ladies Caterpillar Anna is expected to be especially popular.

"While our outdoor brands provide us with a stable income, it's fashion products like Cat shoes that make the big money," added Mr Barlow, "but, they are very seasonal, while our walking boots sell all year round."

When it comes to maintaining a stable income while maximising seasonal sales, few retailers seem to do both, especially those focussed on fashion. But by providing a wide range of choice and a diverse mix of specialist brands, this small online retailer has not only overcome the effects of recession, but continued its growth and development during difficult periods when its biggest competitors have been left struggling.

"It's all about finding opportunities." Said Mr Barlow. "Earlier in the year, we offered an exciting range of winter boots, just as the UK was ground to a halt by snow. So what did everyone do when they couldn't go to work and didn't have any suitable footwear? They shopped online!"

About Fitness Footwear

Dedicated to offering the UK's widest choice of sport and outdoor shoes online, Fitness Footwear also offers all the essential styles for autumn, winter, spring and summer. So whether you're looking for winter boots or summer sandals, you can easily find them at Fitness Footwear with Free UK delivery.

Website: http://www.fitnessfootwear.com

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