From bust to boom?

[dickbaker]

A few weeks ago I was singing the blues on this forum about sales being off. Over the last couple of weeks I'm setting records, but I don't know why.

In talking with owners of different types of businesses, they're reporting similar stories. The guess is that the reconciliation on the continuance of the tax cuts has people loosening their grip on their money.

Is anyone else seeing this for ecommerce?

[buckworks]

I don't have any answers, but I'm sure glad to hear that things have improved for you!

[tangor]

Me, too. While you can. Once that "euphoria" has passed look for common sense overextentions need to be addressed to surface once again.

Predicting a soft, but sustained, ecommerce year. Bucks will not roll again until 2012-13, unless the polititards screw up really bad. :(

[dpd1]

See... I told ya. All those people before were looking and making notes. Just gotta have faith ;-)

[HRoth]

I'm doing a lot better this January so far than the last two Januaries, thank the gods, but it has not been a mad rush, more like some individually substantial sales.

[gpilling]

My business is typically dead between Dec 15th and Jan 15th. This year it very busy, until two days ago when it just -stopped- and I started yelling #*$!?! at the computer.

I have no answers.

[apauto]

It's been the best December in 3 years, but the slowest January in 4.

[lorax]

Positive economic numbers & forecast and a general hopeful attitude for this year are my vote.

[dickbaker]

Sun spots.

[gpilling]

Someone suggested today that the slowdown has to do with half the country being frozen and covered in snow right now.

[tangor]

Pray for sunspots... that global warming thing isn't working out. :)

More serious: there are market revival signs, both stock and mercantile. But, as stated earlier, this will be slow growth over the next two years. The "gangbuster" bucks of three years back are long gone and not likely to reappear for at least a decade.

[jwolthuis]

... half the country being frozen and covered in snow right now.

Sweet. Our sales are inversely proportional to the outdoor temperature. Best month is January... worst is August.

Let it snow, snow, snow...

[Corey Bryant]

Congratulations on setting the records - sometimes it just takes time.

One thing to keep in mind - especially if you are using a merchant account provider - take a look at your contract and what you put in for your monthly volume and highest transaction. If these numbers are increasing, you will want to contact your provider so that they will not put a hold on some funds to verify the transactions are legitimate.

[digitalv]

One reason some sites are seeing an up-tick is the increased popularity of "generic" Visa or American Express gift cards that can be used anywhere. I still have one or two I haven't spent yet.

[pbradish]

That's January for you... for us, some days are very high and others are low. There is no steady pattern and it is hard to analyze.

[dickbaker]

It has to be the perceived economic outlook. I'm 33% ahead of last year, and 61% ahead of January 2009. For nearly all of last year I was running about 75% of 2009.