As summer winds down and fall quickly approaches, now is the ideal time to prepare your business for the seasonal shift ahead. The slower rhythm of late summer offers a rare and valuable opportunity to step back and sharpen your operations. Use this window to fine-tune internal processes, evaluate your promotions, and align your marketing efforts with the increased demand that typically arrives in the coming months.
Inventory management should be a top priority. Be strategic—move through slower-selling products now and create space, both in your warehouse and on your shelves. Fall often brings a surge of new product introductions, many of which play a key role in a manufacturer’s quarterly revenue. In fact, new products can account for 30–40% of Q3 and Q4 sales. If you’re not ready to act quickly, someone else will be.
At the same time, keep an eye on one of the most important advancements coming to our industry: NASGW’s VAULT. This centralized digital product catalog is set to reshape the way we manage and share product information. With high-quality imagery, lifestyle photos, videos, detailed specs, and full attribution, VAULT will become a vital asset for manufacturers, distributors, and retailers alike. It’s designed to streamline how we handle data and eliminate many of the inefficiencies that cost our businesses time and money.
Use these quieter weeks to your advantage. Update your content, improve your workflows, and position your team to respond quickly when the fall surge arrives. In an industry that’s constantly evolving, the businesses that plan ahead are the ones that continue to lead.
Until next time,
Bill Sumner
NASGW Chairman of the Board