Black Friday sales report.

The Friday sales were good, about the same as last year.  Saturday was not as good, though obviously above average.  Still...'Small Business Saturday' didn't seem to have the slightest effect.  Same as last year.  And also the same as last year, Sunday was actually below average.  (One thing no one tells you about these Big Days -- they are often preceded and followed by slower days.)

Pegasus Books had a huge Christmas last year -- a record.  But I'm not expecting that this year.  I'm actually planning for a more normal Christmas, which would be about 20% less than last year.  At this point it is more about what I actually spend than what I make.

The store is the best stocked it has ever been.  Every single category has been stocked this year, to the fullest.  I need only keep the stock up from this point on, which is easier than building it.

Meanwhile, November this year was pretty awful.  My first down month in over a year.

It was the weather, obviously.  Normally I hate to blame the weather, because -- you know -- weather happens.  But it was pretty clear this year, in the two weeks following that first snowfall.  Nobody came in. 

Which was weird.  That isn't the way Bendites used to respond to snow.  Oh, maybe a day or two of shock, but then back to normal.  Not this time.   Over two weeks of pathetic sales. 

So I'm going to be very leery of Christmas.  I can't help but wonder what would happen if there was a similar occurrence the week before Christmas. 

If I could plan for the best or even the average, I could build the perfect store.

But I have to plan for those ten days to two weeks of nobody showing up.  Because it happens on a periodic basis and is completely unpredictable.  Bills on the other hand, are completely predictable and have to be paid, snow or no snow.