Seasonal product businesses: From moon cakes, Tet flowers, calendars, Christmas fashion to regional specialties, Vietnam is an ideal market for seasonal products. Each year, you only need to sell strongly for 1-2 months to achieve revenue equal to the whole year of other industries. It sounds attractive, but in reality, many seasonal businesses still struggle to survive. Many people after 3-5 seasons are forced to “close shop” because they cannot expand, cannot retain old customers, and have to start over from scratch every year. So what problems are seasonal businesses facing and what is the solution to escape the cycle of which season or which season?
Problem 1: “Sprinting” from scratch every year
A noticeable characteristic of seasonal businesses is that… they seem to be newly opened. Even though they have been in business for 3-5 years, they still have to re-hire collaborators, redesign their identity, re-run ads, and rebuild their customer base because they have not maintained anything between seasons. Consequences: Huge startup costs, Unable to create long-term brand recognition, Difficult to develop in depth due to lack of customer data.
Solution:
- Build a 12-month communication strategy, including “keeping the fire” stages: sharing behind the scenes, mini games, surveying new customers, thanking old customers, recalling old seasons…
- Collect and nurture old customer files using a simple CRM system (Google Sheet, Zalo OA, email list).
Problem 2: Sold and then… disappeared
After the peak season, many fanpages, websites, and even hotlines are silent. Even if customers like the product, they don’t know how to contact you. As a result, customers forget your brand or think you’re out of business, losing the opportunity to upsell new products, cross-sell, or extend the season.
Solution:
- Maintain an active online channel with at least 1-2 posts/month.
- Change the fanpage’s target: not only selling products but also telling stories, sharing cultural values, behind-the-scenes production…
- Update contact information, new address if there are any changes.
Problem 3: No neutral product to keep the rhythm all year round
Seasonal businesses often depend solely on the main product of the season. When the season ends, the revenue ends. Consequences: No cash flow to maintain operations for the remaining 9–10 months, No team retention, No long-term consumption habits.
Solution:
- Develop satellite products: For example, a calendar brand can sell notebooks, postcards, seasonal handwritten paper sets; moon cakes can sell tea, Tet gifts, handmade souvenirs.
- Master the value chain: If you have stable inputs (e.g. agricultural products, cake fillings, year-round flowers), consider creating processed/handmade products with wider applications.
Problem 4: No data, no strategy
Many small businesses do not collect customer data. After each season, everything is forgotten. Next year, they are looking for new customers. Consequences: Unable to predict trends, market demand, Unable to optimize products or communication channels.
Solution:
- Even if it’s small, there must be data: at least email, phone number, order, customer feedback.
- Use simple tools: Google Form, Zalo OA, Mailchimp to take care of and survey customers.
- Each season should have a separate summary report (revenue, new/old customers, best-selling products, effective points of sale…) to improve next year.
Problem 5: Lack of clear positioning, easy to replace
Every season, there are hundreds of brands competing. If you don’t have a clear point of identification, customers will buy and then… not remember who they bought from. Consequences: Cannot create brand “loyalty”, easily replaced by other brands with stronger promotions.
Solution:
- Clearly define a prominent brand value for customers to remember: 100% handmade, rare traditional taste, storytelling packaging, environmentally friendly, regional culture…
- Invest in brand storytelling: each season should have its own theme (Tet past – Tet present, Mid-Autumn Festival reunion, Festival season and memories…)
Problem 6: Only worry about selling, not “sowing seeds”
Seasonal businesses often chase short-term revenue, ignoring foundation building activities such as building a brand, training a team, expanding distribution channels… Consequences: Stagnating for many years, depending on a single channel (for example: only selling via Facebook, or only through collaborators).
Solution:
- Divide the seasonal budget according to the ratio: 70% for sales – 30% for long-term investment (data, images, staff training, systematizing processes…).
- Create a “sustainable seasonal” model: improve one step each year, from products, communications, sales channels, to after-sales.
Seasonal Business Doesn’t Have to Start Over Every Year
Seasonal businesses can be sustainable, scalable, and professional if you keep sowing seeds throughout the 12 months. A successful brand isn’t about selling a lot at once, it’s about being consistently present – even when there’s nothing to sell.
