But because shopping is based on weather patterns and fashion trends, retailers must pay for merchandise that may sit, unsold, on shelves for long periods.
This month, it added bridal gowns and bridesmaids' dresses to its offerings, a trend among retailers because bridal products are considered recession-proof.
There seems to be a growing trend amongst retailers to cut staff wages and use those savings across other areas of the business.
The brand, which started in 1953, after its eponymous founder's 19th-century style printed Victorian headscarves became popular, credits two factors for its success in bucking the downward trend amongst retailers: a focus on furniture and a move towards e-commerce.
Despite the pictures of crowded high streets at this time of year, Diane Wehrle, marketing and insights director at Springboard, says the overall number of people who physically visit the shops in December has declined in six of the last seven consecutive years - a worrying trend for retailers that helps explain why so many resort to offering pre-Christmas discounts.
To navigate this trend, some retailers have become more careful in managing their inventory, by reducing product lines and offering fewer items within a line.
While the group buying trend allows retailers to create demand for things which customers may otherwise not have wanted - and therefore offer growth opportunities - there are also potential pitfalls says Hermann Behrens, chief executive of The Brand Union Middle East.
Instead he opted for key items that he could dress up and dress down and work into his existing wardrobe a trend that retailers across the board are starting to see and accommodate.
Robertson notes that the trend validates retailers' attempts to grow loyalty by offering broader services, especially at supermarkets and drugstores.
Like 3M, it has a showroom — in this case, a tasting room — where corporate scientists discuss trends and retailers can sample products under development and offer feedback.
Bucking the general trend for Japanese retailers, both Starbucks Coffee Japan and H20 retailing revised their profits forecasts upwards Friday.
