seasonal variation in business or economic activity that takes place on a recurring basis. Seasonality may be caused by various factors, such as weather, vacation, and holidays. In appraising a company's financial statements at a particular time, the accountant or analyst must consider the seasonal effects upon them and make appropriate seasonal adjustments.
variations in business or economic activity that recur with regularity as the result of changes in climate, holidays, and vacations. It is often necessary to make allowances for seasonality when interpreting or projecting financial or economic data, a process economists call seasonal adjustment.
variations in business or economic activity that recur with regularity as the result of changes in climate, holidays, and vacations. The retail toy business, with its steep sales buildup between Thanksgiving and Christmas and pronounced dropoff thereafter, is an example of seasonality in a dramatic form, though nearly all businesses have some degree of seasonal variation. It is often necessary to make allowances for seasonality when interpreting or projecting financial or economic data, a process economists call seasonal adjustment.
characteristic of a market, product, or promotion that shows a pattern of variation with changes in seasons. For example, in northern states the hot chocolate market is most active in winter and relatively inactive in summer. Most magazine promotions achieve their highest response rate during the Christmas buying season, because many people give subscriptions as Christmas gifts. Certain mailing lists also perform better at different times of year. A mailing to residents of large cities will not do well in July or August, because many people leave the city for vacation or for weekends.
