Depending on where you live, it might not exactly look like spring outside. Maybe you see snow, rain, or (if you’re lucky) some sunshine. Or maybe you see a little bit of everything right now! As fickle as March can be, though, the truth is that spring has indeed officially sprung. But if you’re an eCommerce seller, you’re already looking ahead to the summer selling season.

No matter what story is being told outside of your window at this moment, it’s definitely not too early to start gearing up for the dog days of summer selling.

Tis the Season

June is only two-and-a-half months away. Hard to believe it’s so close, but with the start of summer comes wedding and graduation season in a flurry of silk, flowers, paper decorations, and mylar balloons. June is a double whammy with two of life’s biggest events occurring side by side, presenting huge selling opportunities.

You don’t have to have an inventory full of bridal dresses and graduation cap decoration kits to cash in on this lucrative time. There are plenty of other things you can potentially sell right now that tie into these events!

The Obvious

As the heading of this section suggests, some items you can make a profit from at this time of year are obvious. Maybe you do have bridal dresses to sell. Any kind of bridal party accessories including jewelry, hair clips, makeup, decorative garters, shoes, etc. can grab you sales. If you sell items that can be combined, consider making bridal overnight kits or bridesmaid must have items. Anything that you can market during this time as “bridal” can catch a buyer’s eye.

When it comes to graduation, any decorations, party supplies, invitations, thank you cards, and gifts for the graduate are great items to have in your inventory. Even if you don’t have any graduation cap decoration kits per se, if you sell any crafts you can change the descriptions of those items to market them for that purpose.

Thinking Outside the Box

The summer season isn’t just about weddings and graduations. There are plenty of other occasions you can market your inventory for. Summer has three major holidays: Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day, all of which give sellers an opportunity to sell party supplies, commemorative and patriotic collectibles, and even clothing and accessories.

With the warm weather come summer vacations and summer camp. You can gear up with some lucrative selling ideas focused on anything buyers might need to stock up on. Consider warm weather clothing, bathing suits, accessories, beach bags, sunscreen, pool toys, and anything with a nautical or beach theme. For kids in summer camp, new backpacks, towels, bathing suits, notebooks, and hats are good options.

If you sell beauty products, this is the best time of the year to start really pushing your products with summer colors, products with SPF, and hair products that combat humidity and sea salt.

Other Things to Consider

Some events and milestones occur throughout the entire summer. Good examples of this are Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, and gender reveal parties. Summer is also the most popular time for backyard barbecues and family gatherings, so any utensils, cups, plates, bowls, and napkins with a summery theme will do well.

Take a good long look at your inventory, consider what you sell that can be tied into the summer season, and be creative with marketing. Ask yourself what kinds of things you yourself look for to buy at this time of year, and start looking in stores and catalogues to see what’s already on the shelves. In recent years, stores have really made a push to sell not just a season ahead but sometimes several seasons/holidays ahead! Take your cue from them and don’t be afraid to push your own inventory early.

Happy Summer Selling!