Is business finally picking up?

nathandumoulin

nathandumoulin

WPBL / RUNOUT MEDIA
Silver Member
As we all know, the economy isn't exactly great these days. To make maters worse, pool tends to be a seasonal activity, resulting in incredibly poor turn around for retailers during the summer months.

With this being my first summer in the business (I've only been at this for 10 months now) I was forced to witness the effects first hand. I must admit, I was really surprised at just how slow things got.

However this past week things have really turned around. I just sold over 200 DVDs today alone, which leads me to believe that things might finally be picking up.

Have any other retailers out there noticed an increase in business lately? Is the industry picking up, or is this just a result of the league season starting? Or maybe a warm up for the xmas season? Or maybe just a lucky/fluke week for me?

Just curious how all you retailers handle the swings, and what I should expect in the future. Thanks. :)


EDIT: People just aren't quite grasping what I'm asking here. As I stated in my post, I realize that pool is seasonal. That's a given. However this summer, more companies went out of business than usual. Times were especially tough. What I'm asking is, is business also picking up recently for other retailers, and if so, is it more or less than in previous years?
 
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nathandumoulin said:
As we all know, the economy isn't exactly great these days. To make maters worse, pool tends to be a seasonal activity, resulting in incredibly poor turn around for retailers during the summer months.

With this being my first summer in the business (I've only been at this for 10 months now) I was forced to witness the effects first hand. I must admit, I was really surprised at just how slow things got.

However this past week things have really turned around. I just sold over 200 DVDs today alone, which leads me to believe that things might finally be picking up.

Have any other retailers out there noticed an increase in business lately? Is the industry picking up, or is this just a result of the league season starting? Or maybe a warm up for the xmas season?

Just curious how all you retailers handle the swings, and what I should expect in the future. Thanks. :)
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Wait- You are trying to say that you sold 200 of the Mika DVD's today?

If that isnt a typo, I assume that it was a wholesale customer. If so, I'm not sure it says much about the economy. If it was a bunch of 'retail' orders, then that is saying something but IMO, it just can't be.
 
Nostroke said:
If that isnt a typo, I assume that it was a wholesale customer. If so, I'm not sure it says much about the economy. If it was a bunch of 'retail' orders, then that is saying something but IMO, it just can't be.
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It was a combination of orders from individual customers, stores, and websites. I don't include distributors. Orders of this sort are picking up, which is why I was inclined to believe that maybe this 'dry season' is coming to a close.
 
Its called sales, has nothing to do with pool. Unless you are selling food or toilet paper, nothing sells good all year. Even this can have slow periods...

people lose jobs
no money to eat
don't have to poop as much!

Hope you keep the 200+ per day for years to come!
 
People just aren't quite grasping what I'm asking here. As I stated in my post, I realize that pool is seasonal. That's a given. However this summer, more companies went out of business than usual. Times were especially tough. What I'm asking is, is business also picking up recently for other retailers, and if so, is it more or less than in previous years?

And in response to Jason...lol, man I wish I sold that many DVDs on the average day. Sadly the average isn't anywhere near that number. Thanks though. :)
 
Since no one has answered the question, I will add this.

I am guessing people are starting to spend. Tim Horton lines are as long as ever, malls have tons of cars at them, its busy at fast food places, building supply stores seem busy.

I was at the bank yesterday with 5 or 6 people putting in money instead of taking out... that must be good.
 
There are trace indications that consumer spending is rising once again. It's a drop in the bucket, but its a start.

Business for my local pool hall is distressing. We played a ring game saturday and we were the only table going ALL DAY UNTIL I LEFT AT 5PM! Not one other table was rented from 11am to 5pm. A half dozen people came in to throw darts, but 2-3 games later they were gone.

This place used to see 50% capacity during the afternoons and would have a wait list by 7pm. Plus, they used to have tourneys 4-5 nights a week and would 30-50 players depending on the night. Now, they can't get 8 guys together to play a C-D tourney.
 
nathandumoulin said:
As we all know, the economy isn't exactly great these days. To make maters worse, pool tends to be a seasonal activity, resulting in incredibly poor turn around for retailers during the summer months.

With this being my first summer in the business (I've only been at this for 10 months now) I was forced to witness the effects first hand. I must admit, I was really surprised at just how slow things got.

However this past week things have really turned around. I just sold over 200 DVDs today alone, which leads me to believe that things might finally be picking up.

Have any other retailers out there noticed an increase in business lately? Is the industry picking up, or is this just a result of the league season starting? Or maybe a warm up for the xmas season? Or maybe just a lucky/fluke week for me?

Just curious how all you retailers handle the swings, and what I should expect in the future. Thanks. :)


EDIT: People just aren't quite grasping what I'm asking here. As I stated in my post, I realize that pool is seasonal. That's a given. However this summer, more companies went out of business than usual. Times were especially tough. What I'm asking is, is business also picking up recently for other retailers, and if so, is it more or less than in previous years?
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Have a question for you. Have any suggestions or do you have file available if I want to see the DVD series on my IPOD/IPHONE?
 
BENFICA said:
Have a question for you. Have any suggestions or do you have file available if I want to see the DVD series on my IPOD/IPHONE?
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I've been putting off a lot of things until I'm done making my new Venom Trickshots DVD. I takes me forever to do anything, but thankfully I should be done working on it in about 4 weeks. Once that's done, I'll have plenty of time to work on a lot of marketing/advertising ideas that I have. One such idea is what you just suggested, which it to make the movies available on IPOD/IPHONE.

As for converting the files if you already own the DVD...hmm. I did a quick Google search and found this free method: http://www.anders.com/guides/convert/video/iPod/windows.html
 
One problem is you still have about 10 % unemployment throughout the US. These people will not spend a lot of money on pool until they're working again. I don't look for a comeback to the way things were a couple of years ago, but maybe some loosening of the dollars working folks have because they feel a little better about the economy.
My business is off 10 % from a year ago, but things do seem to be picking up this month.
 
Same here in SK Nathan, obviously during the summer you can hear a pin drop at the pool hall. Fall leagues have started and people are on the move again.
I understand your question, I'm watching my pennies this year more than ever and so is everyone else. People have a renewed interest in pool now that fall is here and its good to hear you're moving those DVDs.
 
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I wish you lots of success Nathan with what your doing, your Mika dvd is top notch work and anyone looking to do a dvd should go to you. :wink:
 
mosconiac said:
...This place used to see 50% capacity during the afternoons and would have a wait list by 7pm. Plus, they used to have tourneys 4-5 nights a week and would 30-50 players depending on the night. Now, they can't get 8 guys together to play a C-D tourney.
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Boy, do we have a different idea of a good place to play! I won't play where a wait list is going, unless we are the only ones waiting. I have enough of a problem trying to play when others are at the table next to me, thanks to occasional anxiety attacks. A room full of people keeps our pool hall open, but keeps me away, more often than there. For that reason, we try to visit on a day and time which has less traffic, whenever possible. I won't mention when that is, in case anyone else is watching. Let the place fill up, trying to catch me! Ha! Ha!:smile:
 
Nathan, I've worked in a number of different industries over the years (toys, software, sporting goods) and just like the rest, the billiards industry does seem to have its own "season". The summer dip is more exaggerated in this industry than others, but you are correct that the dry season is coming to an end.

As for expectations for the holiday season, the phrase that seems to be going around is "cautiously optimistic". Even though Ben Bernanke has told the world that the recession is over, the reality is that times are still pretty tough out there.

Hope this helps!
 
I live in Denver, CO and work for a large floor covering company.The majority of our business is new homes and commercial projects and a small retail trade.
It has picked up quite a bit over what it was. And what it was was ugly. But it's a start. We went from $45 million a year down to $30 million a year.
So we lost about a third of our business which is staggering. Our owners are a couple of rich guys with deep pockets that own several other companies and they funded us to get thru the hard times without which i think we may have folded.
And the local room i play in is very slow. There have been nights when i was the only one playing by myself. I hope they can stay open because they are a 10 minute drive for me. If they close the nearest real pool room is 30 minutes away.
 
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