Seasonal Variation

seasonal variation

A regularly recurring change in the value of a variable. For example, electric utilities generally experience significant seasonal sales variations in electricity. Likewise, toy manufacturers have sales increases before Christmas.

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Seasonal Variation

A situation in which a company has better sales in certain times of the year than in other times. For example, a swimwear company likely has better sales in the summer, and toy companies likely perform better in the period preceding Christmas. Sales forecasts and reports often adjust to account for seasonal variation, and the companies often change the amount of inventory they carry to ensure that they are able to meet demand at the lowest cost.