Is my bakery too seasonal?

I run a small bakery in a pretty touristy area, and I’ve been living in constant anxiety about my seasonal offerings. This holiday season has me particularly concerned since last year, I took a massive hit in sales after Christmas when all the festive goodies just didn’t sell. Honestly, the thought of being left with stale pastries is just painful!

I’ve tried to mix in some winter flavors while offering a few classic items year-round, but folks don’t seem as interested in pumpkin bread come January. Do you think it’s better to stick with versatile items or go all in with seasonal treats and just accept some wastage after the holidays? I’m torn between trying to maximize sales and keeping my menu fresh for regulars. What have you all done in this situation? Any tips for keeping customers happy without taking a huge financial hit after the holidays?

You are not alone. In tourist areas holiday traffic can spike then fall off fast, and pumpkin/pecan/etc usually tank in January. I’d treat seasonals like marketing plays, not core SKUs, and build a plan to avoid dead inventory.

Quick, practical moves you can do this week

• Run last year’s POS by SKU and pick 4 seasonal winners that actually sold, not just looked cute. Start your seasonal production at 30 to 50 percent of last year’s run and scale up if they move.
• Open pre-orders and gift-box sales for holiday items, promote to locals and hotels. Pre-sales lock revenue and reduce waste.