Making the most of the post-holiday retail lull

Consumers who overspent over the 2011 holiday season are closing their wallets this month. Consequently, retailers are in the midst of one of the biggest post-holiday depressions the country has faced in a while, the Chicago Tribune reports.

"January post-holiday sales are expected to plunge to some of the lowest levels in years, thanks to a surge in credit card spending over the Christmas season," said Britt Beemer, chairman of America's Research Group, as quoted by the news source.

Financial news and services website TheStreet recently offered tips on how to mitigate losses in the six-week period before the next big holiday - Valentine's Day.

First, it's important to realize that no matter your industry, you're going to have slow periods. Get something positive out of this time by planning promotions ahead of your next busy season, stock up in anticipation of the next customer rush and get your inventory in order so you're not faced with the responsibility later in the year, when you'll likely have less time to attend to it.

"What we've been doing is re-ordering merchandise that we're going to continue to carry, ordering for Valentine's day and packing up all our Christmas cards," Dana Norman, co-owner of Plainview, New York-based greeting card shop CardSmart, told the news source.

While restocking, consider ways to expand your offerings. The new year is the perfect time to launch new products and focus on renewed business marketing efforts to remind consumers that you'll be around when they're ready to loosen their purse strings.