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Seasons Settings Documentation

Menu Location: Reports > Seasons (admin-edit.php?table=seasons)

Access Level: Administrator and above

Last Updated: 2026-03-01

Overview

Seasons Settings defines seasonal periods for your business operations, allowing you to track performance by season, manage seasonal product availability, adjust pricing by season, and analyze trends across different times of the year.

Primary Functions:

  • Define seasonal periods (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, or custom seasons)
  • Set start and end dates for each season
  • Track orders and revenue by season
  • Manage seasonal product catalogs
  • Analyze year-over-year seasonal performance
  • Plan seasonal marketing and inventory

Page Layout

Seasons Table:

  • Season ID
  • Season Name
  • Start Date
  • End Date
  • Year
  • Active Status
  • Customer Count (customers who ordered during season)
  • Order Count
  • Revenue
  • Actions (Edit, View Report, Delete)

Defining Seasons

Common Season Setups:

Traditional Four Seasons:

  • Spring (March 21 - June 20)
  • Summer (June 21 - September 20)
  • Fall (September 21 - December 20)
  • Winter (December 21 - March 20)

Business Seasons:

  • Q1 (January - March)
  • Q2 (April - June)
  • Q3 (July - September)
  • Q4 (October - December)

Custom Seasons:

  • Grilling Season (May - September)
  • Holiday Season (November - January)
  • CSA Season (April - October)
  • Off-Season (November - March)

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Track Seasonal Performance

Goal: Compare summer 2025 vs. summer 2024.

Setup:

  1. Define "Summer 2024" (June 21 - Sept 20, 2024)
  2. Define "Summer 2025" (June 21 - Sept 20, 2025)
  3. Run Seasons Report to compare
  4. Analyze revenue growth year-over-year

Use Case 2: Seasonal Product Management

Goal: Only offer certain products during appropriate seasons.

Setup:

  1. Define seasons
  2. Mark products with seasonal availability
  3. "Grilling Box" only available during Grilling Season
  4. Automatically hide/show products based on current season

Use Case 3: Seasonal Pricing

Goal: Charge premium during peak season, discount during slow season.

Setup:

  1. Define Peak Season (May - August)
  2. Define Off-Season (November - February)
  3. Apply seasonal pricing rules
  4. Products automatically adjust prices based on active season

Use Case 4: CSA Share Periods

Goal: Track community-supported agriculture subscription periods.

Setup:

  1. Define "Spring CSA 2026" (April - June)
  2. Define "Summer CSA 2026" (July - September)
  3. Define "Fall CSA 2026" (October - November)
  4. Customers subscribe to specific seasonal shares

Use Case 5: Holiday Season Analytics

Goal: Understand holiday shopping patterns.

Setup:

  1. Define "Holiday 2025" (November 15 - January 5)
  2. Track orders during holiday period
  3. Compare to regular season performance
  4. Plan inventory and staffing for next holiday season

Seasons Report

Access: Reports > Seasons Report

Data Provided:

  • Total orders per season
  • Revenue per season
  • Average order value per season
  • Customer count (unique customers who ordered)
  • New customers acquired per season
  • Top products per season
  • Year-over-year comparisons

Use For:

  • Strategic planning
  • Inventory forecasting
  • Marketing budget allocation
  • Staffing decisions
  • Product development priorities

Best Practices

  1. Consistent definitions - Use same season dates year after year for accurate comparisons
  2. Plan ahead - Define next year's seasons now for reporting continuity
  3. Align with business - Create seasons matching your business model (may not be traditional calendar seasons)
  4. Track closely - Review seasonal performance monthly during season
  5. Year-over-year focus - Always compare to same season previous year, not previous season

Quick Reference Card

Task Action
Create season Click Add New Record
Define dates Enter start and end dates for season
View season report Click "View Report" next to season
Compare seasons Run Seasons Report with multiple seasons selected
Edit season Click Edit (can adjust dates before season starts)
Archive old seasons Change status to Inactive

FAQs

Can seasons overlap?

Technically yes, but typically shouldn't for reporting accuracy. Define distinct periods for clearest analysis.

How many seasons should I create?

Depends on business. Most use 4 traditional seasons or 4 quarters. Can create more for granular analysis (12 months) or fewer (just peak vs. off-season).

Can I change season dates after season started?

Yes, but affects reporting. Best to finalize dates before season begins. Historical data reallocates to new date ranges.

Do seasons affect anything automatically?

Depends on configuration. May automatically show/hide seasonal products, apply seasonal pricing, or categorize orders. Mainly for reporting and analysis.

Should I use calendar seasons or custom seasons?

Use what makes sense for your business. If you're in agriculture, growing seasons make sense. If you're retail-focused, calendar quarters or holiday seasons may be better.

How do I account for year-round products?

Mark as available "all seasons" or don't restrict by season. Seasons mainly useful for seasonal-specific products and analytics.

End of Documentation

For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.