Holiday planning starts in October

Holiday shoppers start walking in during November, but the stock they buy has to be on your shelf before they arrive. For a small shop, October is the month to decide what you will sell as gifts, how you will display it, and when you will reorder. Here is a calendar you can follow this year.

Why October

• Case packs take time to ship and to shelve. Ordering in October leaves room for a second order if something moves faster than you planned.
• You can build displays, signs and staff scripts before the busy weeks, while you still have time to test them.
• Regular clients start asking about gifts earlier than most shops expect. A display that is ready early catches those conversations.

Three gift-ready items

Midnight Blue Barrier Kit, $49.99 MSRP

The kit pairs the EGF Blue Youth Activating Drop with the Midnight Blue Calming Cream 60 mL. The watery Drop goes first as a serum step, and the lightweight Blue Cream finishes the routine. It is a full blue calming routine in one set, with no added fragrance. This is your main gift: one box that answers "what should I buy her?"

Vita 10 Radiance Sheet Mask, 5 sheets, $15.00 MSRP

The 5-sheet set is a vitamin sheet mask routine for dull-looking skin, one 15 to 20 minute session at a time. It has no added fragrance. Use it as a mid-price gift or a gift-set filler. The single sheet at $3.00 MSRP works as a stocking stuffer.

Blue EGF Barrier Lip Balm, $10.00 MSRP

The lip balm carries shea butter 10%, squalane, Ceramide NP, and the Blue Line pairing of EGF and sodium guaiazulene sulfonate. It melts onto lips without stickiness. It contains chamomile flower oil, so mention that to clients who avoid essential oils. At $10.00 MSRP it is your register add-on.

Shelf note: Gifts at three prices: the Midnight Blue Barrier Kit at $49.99 MSRP, the Vita 10 five-sheet set at $15.00 MSRP and the Blue EGF Barrier Lip Balm at $10.00 MSRP.

A week-by-week calendar

1. Early October: check your current stock of all three items. Place your first holiday order. The minimum is one full case of a product; products ship in sealed case packs from California, or your carrier can collect.
2. Mid October: build a gift display with the three price points side by side. Write short signs and a counter script.
3. Late October: brief staff. Everyone should know what is in the kit and which item contains chamomile flower oil.
4. Early November: move the display to the front of the shop. Count sell-through weekly.
5. Mid November: place your second order based on what moved in the first two weeks. This is the reorder that matters most.
6. Early December: move lip balms and single sheet masks to the register for last-minute buyers.

What in-person discovery looks like

At the Hapa Kristin pop-up on Melrose in Los Angeles, Sep 3 to 6, 2026, the brand logged 608 weekend store entries (cumulative, not unique) and 405 units sold over the weekend at event pricing. Take that as a reminder that clients like to see and touch these products before they buy them as gifts. Put a tester of each item on your display.

A short counter script

Ask one question: "Is this for someone who likes a skincare routine, or someone who wants something small?" Point the first to the kit and the second to the lip balm or sheet masks.

Plan your first holiday order in the catalog, and watch the Wednesday desk update for stock notes through December.