USA Today reported that: “As retailers seamlessly transitioned from Black Friday deals to Cyber Monday deals as early as Saturday, they were riding the tailwind of a shopping weekend that found more than 103 million people say they had or planned to shop online Thursday through Sunday, according to the National Retail Federation’s consumer sentiment survey of 4,281 people out Sunday. That’s compared to nearly 102 million people who shopped in stores during the four-day period.“
NRF is catching flack for shifting from hard data to polling-style samples. We’ll see how that plays out. Here’s more from USA Today:
“While the organization (NRF) can’t compare to last year’s figures, initial feedback from retail executives and shoppers show that the holiday season is on track to hit an expected 3.7% increase in sales, says NRF president and CEO Matt Shay….”
“…More than 151 million people shopped, compared with about 136 million who said they were going to shop, NRF found. And despite earlier start times to sales, Black Friday remains the most popular day to shop, as more than 74 million people hit stores the day after Thanksgiving, compared with 34.6 million who shopped in stores on Thanksgiving, NRF says.”
We were part of all of the above – as you likely where too – and the photos captured Thanksgiving Thursday reflected amazingly long lines at retailer Kohl’s. There are a number of possible takeaways in the above numbers for our industry.
MHMarketers, Heads up…
For example. It’s still a trickle, but the full blown clicks vs bricks race in retail is seeing some late blooming mirroring in MH. While still tiny in the MH Industry, there are more anecdotal reports being heard of MH buyers who shop, order, apply and buy a home without ever walking into the MH retailer’s office. That’s clicks vs. bricks.
Savvy MH pros wants to be on both sides of that equation. Please look at these images from the retail stores. Tell me what they ought to suggest to MH retailers, communities, manufacturers and other vendors?
Naturally, online sales aren’t nearly as likely to happen for firms that have a poor website, or who fail to provide shoppers what they need to know via the Internet and by phone. Part of that involves online reputation and recommendations, and we’ll be carrying another column in the upcoming December from MH veteran Wayne Coakley on that topic.
The Time Warp
Needless to say, we all have the same 24 hours in a day, but odds are that we’ve all known occasions when time seemed to move fast, and other times, slowly. Starting around Thanksgiving, the ‘time warp’ effect of the holidays hit. We’ll suddenly be in 2016, as well as the primary season in politics, and the show season for manufactured housing.
The Next Level
Let me thank Tim Williams – 21st Mortgage CEO and MHI Chairman – for a very thoughtful and valued letter he provided last week on:
The Importance and Value of Independent MH Trade Publications
We are closer than ever to passing the Dodd-Frank fixes into law we need for our consumers and sellers. Don’t let the time warp of the holidays distract you from taking the few minutes need to do the following. Call your two Senators offices and ask them:
“To support inclusion of Section 909 – which has S 682 – as a rider to the Senate Appropriations Bill S 1910.”
S 682, as regular readers know is The Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act, which the House passed last spring in their bill – HR 650. You can find your Congressman and two U.S. Senators via www.ContactingTheCongress.org in seconds.
Then, get and stay engaged in what’s happening in your industry. Set an example for your colleagues and team members, by reading, writing, calling and sharing. As CU’s Barry Noffsinger said, you be the change.
3 years ago, MHI cited the number of full time equivelents (FTEs) working in MH at about 100,000. Let’s say that’s closer to 150,000 FTEs (+?) today. Almost all of you have a Facebook page. Almost all email, are online, and know others in and out of MH. When a growing number of MH Pros shares what’s on MHLivingNews.com with the world, the world will increasingly understand MH. Educating the public on the facts vs. the myths will yield more sales.
When more in our industry are into the best practices that associations and the expert writers on MHProNews.com shares,
> we’ll serve the public better,
> we’ll have fewer legal hassles,
> we’ll sell more homes.
15 minutes a day on MHLivingNews.com and 15 minutes a day on MHProNews.com. It pays off.
John Bostick, CEO of Sunshine Homes and prior Chairman of MHARR likes to say, “Easy Doesn’t Pay Well.” Taking a few minutes a day to keep up and grow professionally, that may not seem easy for those who are not yet into the habit. Others would have to cut back if they went DOWN to 15 minutes a day. Those who do those extra steps, are often the leaders and better performers.
Be a leader. Start now doing what leaders do, because all leaders are readers. Leaders don’t just talk,
- they do,
- they encourage and
- they lead by example.
The tidal shifts, time warp and next level are at hand. Retail has recovered far more than MH has. We have to be more professional if we are to grow into the kinds of sustainable selling that will make us the powerhouse of housing in the future we can be.
Programing note: expect the new issue to be live on the home page Wednesday, December 2nd, around mid-afternoon. We’ll have some great columns, business protecting and building items and new videos for you to get into! Until then, go do or sell something good! ##
