With 60 days until December, the commercial sector is accelerating and focusing its expectations of sales growth in the Christmas season

October begins with 85 days until Christmas, the commercial sector already sets its expectations on this date, although others are still included such as the October celebrations of Guayaquil, Halloween and Black Friday, which also generate an important movement in trade, which in January to July was led by domestic sales in the country with 46.11 billion USD, 3% more than in 2022 and almost 20% more than in 2019 in the same period, according to data from the Chamber of Commerce of Quito.

In this context, many supermarket chains and stores specializing in household products are already showing their new Christmas collections in an effort to increase revenues. Buen Hogar, for example, officially starts in October with its ‘Christmas Bazaar’, where they show, in their six stores across the country, their new collection of Christmas products for 2023. María José Peláez, national manager of Buen Hogar stores, remember that before the chain has had a Christmas pre-sale since last July with stock goods from 2022 at a 50% discount.

“We’ve done great with our pre-Christmas sale, we still have discounted merchandise but we’ve already got new merchandise. We have a high projection of sales of new goods, this year we have a large selection of products for all tastes and at excellent prices lower than those on the market,” says Peláez.

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Jorge Wated, the chain’s general manager, plans to maintain sales growth of 5% over the 2022 Christmas season, but realizes there may be variables driving those expectations. “The first, optional – the second round of elections will be on October 15, the second, punitive and may not help much to raise sales in the way we projected, although for this year the company has made larger investments in the inventory of Christmas decorations”, he analyzes .

A company that recently started the Christmas season in some of its supermarket and store chains is Corporación Favorita with its Christmas Salon concept implemented in several of its Supermaxi, Megakywi and Sukasa stores from the first week of September. In addition, this year they included the Express Christmas Show, a traveling exhibition that will be staged until 2023 at the CCI in Quito, the Mall de los Andes in Ambat, and the Multiplaza Miraflores shopping center in Cuenca.

In the Christmas season of 2024, this new concept will migrate to shopping centers in other cities to be defined.

Meanwhile, now in these two concepts, Christmas Room and Express Christmas Room, you can find decorations, flowers, branches, bulbs and accessories, recreational items, figures for coloring and building; Christmas trees of all types and pencil sizes for the smallest spaces, plus 18 different decorating inspirations. Also, nativity designs with the holy family, which share space with other themed products, such as those for Halloween, which are also displayed in parallel with the Christmas ones.

For example, this happens in the Christmas Hall in Sucasa, in the Mall del Sol, in Guayaquil, where you can find Christmas trees from $176.39 to $450.89. Also, $26.99 curtain lights and some discounted items that can go up to -35% off, along with Halloween inflatables.

“I’m fascinated by all the Christmas things out there. I’m just passing through today (Friday), but I’ll be back this weekend with my family to pick out some things I need to update in my Christmas decor,” says Mercedes Rosado as she looks at the Christmas decorations on display.

Meanwhile, in Megamaxi stores the Christmas season started on September 14, and in Aki supermarkets it starts on October 17. Overall, the company anticipates average sales growth of 15%, according to the company’s CEO.

Almacenes Estuardo Sánchez, for its part, kicked off the Christmas season on Sept. 15 and opened a Christmas boutique at its Urdesa location, according to Sara Vásquez, marketing manager for the chain, which imports products such as Christmas trees from Taiwan, Indonesia and Poland. , births, spheres, picks, flowers, cloth dolls -in various trends-, as well as products for serving tables and drinks such as cups, glasses and cutlery, although they also bet on Ecuadorian products.

Francisco Paladines, administrator of the Urdes location, reveals that the strategy of turning it into a Christmas boutique started in 2021 with good results. “We have good results, a lot of people come. In general, what they wear the most at the moment are decorations, lights, flowers, we have five suggestions,” explains Paladines. He adds that in the first 15 days of the Christmas boutique, sales growth compared to 2022 was recorded.

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The chain’s sales growth projection for this year is between 15% and 20%.

Easter bread is sold from September

Meanwhile, even though the Christmas season officially starts at the end of October, Tía has also started moving some of her products back to date from September. This is the case with Easter bread, which is presented in a traditional version and a special edition.

In the traditional option there is a 400 gram Ta’Riko Easter bread with candied fruit for $1.99; and the 500 gram one with chocolate chips, deli and the other with candied fruit $3.99. While the 750g Selection by Tía special edition Easter bread retails for $5.99.

For the range of Easter breads, the company has three suppliers, including the Ta’Riko brand, and estimates sales of these products to grow by 15% compared to 2022.

“Tía, always looking for the best shopping experience, starts displaying part of the Christmas range from the last week of October. All items such as Christmas decorations, toys, turkeys, turkeys, hams, baskets, candy wrappers and Easter bread can be found in 254 stores nationwide from the first week of November,” the company advances.

Coral Hypermarket is another chain where you can already find traditional Easter breads. Juan Carlos Guerrero, manager of the Carlos Julio Arosemena Avenue location, assures that the store has always been identified as the person who creates this expectation before Christmas. “We always do it for all kinds of events, and one of them is the anticipation of Christmas,” Guerrero points out.

The supermarket offers several Easter bread options of different prices and brands ranging from $1.46 to $3.77.