BY THE BY - MARS BARS, Why don't they just tell the truth?

From time to time, I will be commenting on something in the news that catches my interest...

Today, it is the news that Mars bars will be 7g (or 11.3%) smaller and the price will be the same...

Mars Snackfood Australia general manager Peter West said the move was a direct response to Australia's obesity debate and the company's bars had too many calories. (news.com.au)

What a load of hooey!!!

Why can't they just say that the raw materials are increasing in price and they don't want to increase the sell price?? They are running a business so they can make business decisions...

To say that they are reducing the calories for the welfare of their customers is insulting to our collective intelligence!!

If they really cared about the health and welfare of their customers they would stop making all of their products immediately and start growing fruit and vege...

Why don't they just tell the truth???

Almost everything we buy now is smaller than it once was - we aren't stupid. This is not how to build trust with customers.

I for one will no longer be buying any Mars Snackfoods products. I will be voting with my dollar..

What do you think?

Stationery is the New Candle

If someone told me that candles would be sold for $80.00 when I started my retail career as a Grace Bros cadet 22 years go, I would have thought they were dreaming!

The dream is a reality, with candles in all sizes, colours, fragrances, packaging and prices, becoming a key gift item over the last 10 years. In fact, there are dedicated stores that sell candles and all that goes with them.

Whilst I am a big fan of the candle and have them all over my house with backup in the linen cupboard, I think that I am a little candled-out and I am not alone.

When looking at the ‘next big thing’ we need to look at why the ‘current big thing’ was so popular. They appeal to a wide range of tastes, have multiple applications, appeal to both men and women, are ageless, have a fashion component and are functional.
Consumer value-perception is changing. They value a well designed piece, quality material and functionality. They will pay a little more for something that is different and not widely available.
Candles are; attractive, scented, evoke emotion, gorgeously packed, part of home-décor and don’t need to be hidden, suitable for a wide variety of tastes and ages and most importantly are functional as they are used and not just decoration! They are not a risky item for you to stock in your stores.

The retail landscape is also changing, we now have emerging specialists who are carving a place for themselves amongst the mass merchandisers and department stores. They offer a greater assortment of product, move with the trends faster and have a higher level of customer service.

When shopping at these stores consumers seek a ‘special’ total shopping experience which encompasses product, ambience, service and location. Price, while still an influencer, is not a deciding factor.

When looking at their product mix, Gift and Homeware Stores need to include products that these emerging specialists are selling. This will ensure they are capitalising on the growing awareness and consumer demand built by the specialist. To ignore this would be to drive your customers towards the specialty stores.

One example is the trend back to writing stationery.
The evolution of writing and boxed stationery, which includes fashion prints, notepads, journals, boxed cards, tags, photo albums etc, in the mainstream market is easy to follow over the past few years in Australia.

Specialty paper/stationery stores did not exist in Australia eight years ago. More and more specialists are opening their doors and creating a destination for arbiters of functional, attractive stationery and writing materials and all that goes with them.
Consumers are exposed to these stores and seeking a wider variety of these products in their normal shopping destinations.
Once upon a time, a card was $1.00 and the thought that we would be buying $10.00 cards was unbelievable. Now, it is a reality with a range of cards and wrap that rival London’s Paperchase stores.
Emails and social websites, such as Facebook, have only enhanced the need for personal communication and contact. Increasingly, I hear that people do not have time to read personal emails and are sick of only receiving bills in the mail. With such a wide variety of papers and cards available, finding your signature piece is easier than ever before.

Once a status symbol of the upper classes, fine-writing stationery, and gorgeous notecards are now sought after by the gift buying consumer. For years we dreamed of visiting the stores of the masters; Smythson of Bond Street in London, Crane & Co from the USA, Kate’s Paperie in New York and Cassegrain in Paris. In fact, it was on these trips that we stocked up as we could not buy such things in Australia.

Today’s consumer is now aware of these products in Australia and has added them to their shopping list when shopping at home. They desire something that is not just attractive and usable but also a reflection of their style.

So this leads me to make this bold statement – Stationery is the new Candle.

MY FIRST ARTICLE IN GREETINGS & GIFTS!!

I am so excited that my first article is in the current issue of Greetings & Gifts!!

Although my title was "Stationery is the New Candle" the article is still the same!!

I will post the article in real size!

We got some great editorial too on our new lines!!

Here's our latest advert - nice huh?

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy weekend!

cheers :-)

DAILY TIP: MAKE EYE CONTACT & SMILE!

write something here
IMPORTANT - to build a relationship with your customers and make them feel valued and important. This is vital for building long term customer loyalty.

This may sound like an obvious thing to say but you, and your staff, should make eye contact with every customer who walks in your store or past your store window.

THEN SMILE!!

The best thing is that it is FREE!! This is part of your Marketing Plan that will cost you absolutely NOTHING.

It is not only free but it will make you and your customer feel good! Smiling is contagious so spread the happiness!

Be vigilant with staff and monitor it always, giving feedback when you see it is not done. Lead by example!

Smiling has physical benefits too!! Amongst them - Changes your mood and tricks your body into thinking you feel great, relieves stress, boosts your immune system, lowers your blood pressure, releases endorphins, natural pain killers and serotonia and helps you stay positive!

Shaping this Blog

Hello!!

I have been discussing the best way to use this blog with customers - thanks for the feedback really appreciate it!! - as I would like to give you a reason to visit regularly and LEARN something as well!!

So I have decided on my Daily Tips - we are all busy and whilst our intention to read and keep up to date is always there, sometimes it is not so easy. By making my Daily Tips short and sweet, they will be easier to digest as well!!

Retail is under pressure like never before and there is no doubt businesses need to change and adapt to this new environment to ensure survival and success. My Daily tips will help break down every aspect of retail and give you some great suggestions and tools!

I would love to hear from you with any feedback on Posts or any suggestions for future Posts or articles I am working on.

CREATE AN ACCOUNT: All you need to do is hit "Comment" and create an account - this is really easy, I promise!
2 steps and you are done! and you don't need to do it every time, once your account is registered you only have to log-in after that. EASY! You can also choose to be private and not public if this is all new to you!

FOLLOW THE BLOG: If you would like to automatically receive notification every time the blog is updated, hit "Follow" and create an account (as above).

SURVEY: I will also have an active survey (right) every time you visit, please fill it out. The results of the survey will be available to all the followers of this blog.

I will be adding longer pieces and my articles of course, so you may want to print those off and read on the weekend !! hee hee :-)

Blogging, Facebook, Twitter and 'Social Media' are fast becoming part of our everyday lives and vocabulary. As retailers and marketers, we need to embrace these great tools and use them to our benefit! I will help demystify this for you.

Look out for our first Tip tomorrow!!

Ciao Ciao!

Welcome!!

Marketing Support does not mean making New Fliers !

Retail has never been more complicated.
Consumers have access to more information, choice and options than ever before.

You can communicate with your customer via: post, email, radio, sms, local paper, facebook, twitter, online advertising and the list goes on.

Your customer is comparing you to other stores, sites and products from the comfort of their lounge.

It has never been more important to get your Marketing in order and be clear about what your business is and what you offer. In the same way that you call an electrician, computer specialist and take your car to a mechanic, there is help to be had outside your business.

Outsourcing is not something as small business owners we like to do but it is just as vital as having a good accountant do your books and a lawyer do their thing. Business owners don't have the time to do everything involved in running a successful profitable business - there are many hats to be worn. They should be the conductor of the orchestra - not the player of every instrument.

As with any profession, there are guides and rules to follow which is the backbone of a successful business. But the flair, passion and awareness of customers and what they want is the flesh on the backbone and what ultimately separates the leaders from the imitators!!

We started Magnolia Solutions in response to customers requests for help with marketing aspects of their business. We are bringing over 20 years of experience in retail, wholesale, manufacturing, product development and project management to develop creative strategies and solutions that increase sales and profitability.