While both Professionals Secretaries Week and Administrative Professionals Week are a mouthful to say, more florists have the latter on their lips.
In 2008, 23 per cent of florists used the secretarial title, down from 38 per cent in 2005, according to SAF’s post-holiday survey. Those using "Administrative Professionals Week" rose to 31 per cent from 22 per cent in 2005. About 29 per cent use both terms.
In 1952, National Secretaries Association established the holiday. The group changed its name to the International Association of Administrative Assistants in 1998 and in 2000 changed the name of the observance to Administrative Professionals Week.
APW/PSW Sales Slide
Regardless of what florists call the week, more are reporting weaker sales during it. About half the businesses (49 per cent) reported 2008 sales below those of 2007. About a quarter each said sales were either up (23 per cent) or about the same (25 per cent) as in 2007.
It appears that shops in all of the size categories, in terms of their annual sales levels, had similar experiences in changes in sales for the holiday. By location, suburban shops were somewhat more likely to see year-over-year declines (just over half the businesses) and rural businesses more likely to maintain sales compared to their suburban counterparts (31 per cent compared to 20 per cent).
The economy, whether at the national (57 per cent) or regional level (50 per cent) took a big chunk of the blame for the slump. The holiday's own decline in importance was cited by 56 per cent of recipients, a cause that somewhat ties into the economy, given the changing landscape of the workplace. That environment is the backdrop for two other factors cited: non-support by business sector (44 per cent) and confusion over for whom the holiday is for (43 per cent).
Rounding out the top 10 are:
- The name change (32 percent)
- Competition from other gifts, (32 percent)
- Public unaware of the holiday (32 percent)
Busy Work Administrative
Professionals Week can make for a very manic mid-week. Almost all the incoming orders arrive beginning on Monday, increasing on Tuesday and peaking on Wednesday. And almost nine of every 10 orders (87 percent) are delivered on Wednesday.
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