Back home...for the moment

Just a quick post before I head back out of town to let you know the GHTA conference in Sanibel was terrific. The information shared was beyond helpful, and there were lots of open ears when it came to what retailers are going through these days.

I owe a huge thanks to the independent store owners who participated in the Retail Realities survey. Your wisdom and candor made all the difference, and allowed a lot of pretty big players in the gift, stationery, and home accessory industries to better understand what you need from them...both now and in the future.

Which brings me to the title: “Here and Now...and Tomorrow.” If you’d like to view a PDF of the slides used, visit the AlwaysUpward.com resource center (linked to from the “See Cinda” page). Will try to put together an audio counterpart upon returning home from Thanksgiving travels, to fill in the blanks.

Gobble, gobble, all.....and knock ‘em dead on Black Friday.

Photo credit: Carol Schroeder

Don’t forget....

There are still a few spaces available; once we max out, though...that’s it.

For: Retailers who want to stay upright and breathing through this economic melt down
When: Monday, November 24, 2008
Time: 8:00 p.m. E / 7:00 C / 6:00 M / 5:00 P
Duration: 1 hour
Presenter: Cinda Baxter, Always Upward Consulting and founder of RetailSpeaks

Description:
Retail has never been harder, nor the risks greater. Learn the five vital things you need to do right now to protect you and your investment as the consumer market twists and turns. The goal of this session is to assure that you’ve stacked the deck in your favor, prepared and protected-—regardless of how the game plays out.

Cost:
$37.00 per enrollment
Space is limited; feel free to have multiple people listen in on a speaker phone. (Note: This seminar is structured for retail business owners; some information may be more sensitive than what you typically share with employees.)

To subscribe to this session:
Click here to be taken to the Always Upward home page, then click on the event link. Major credit cards and PayPal credit accounts are welcome.

Not a retailer?
Feel free to spread the word to anyone you think might be interested in protecting their investment; the more stores who protect themselves now, the more that will still be around tomorrow.

The GHTA conference

Today’s the big day--the start of the Gift and Home Trade Association national conference, in Sanibel, Florida (yeah, tough gig, I know). For those of you not familiar with the GHTA, this is a collection of CEOs, Presidents, owners, and upper management representing the most influential vendors, manufacturers, sales agencies, and trade magazines in the gift and home accessory industries.

On Saturday, I’m presenting two seminars called “Here and Now...and Tomorrow,” detailing the realities that concern retailers today, what concerns them about the next year, and how those concerns are going to impact the way they continue to do business. Thanks to the contributions of an advisory group of independent retailers representing a cross section of stores nationwide, the data is as “of the moment” as it gets.

Thanks to those of you who answered the call, sharing your wisdom and suggestions for the sessions. This is one of those cases where you’ve got a captive audience of real decision makers; together, we can help them decide what will help independents most in this unprecedented economic climate.

Morning media

This morning, the Today Show did a segment about how to save money this holiday season. As expected, the usual items were on the list--pay in cash instead of credit cards, discuss pulling back on gift giving as a family, begin with a budget, etc.

Two suggestions, however, nearly had my head spinning like a whirling dervish: (a) that consumers should begin shopping online right away, for as much as they can, since that’s the best places to find great gifts, and (b) that consumers should go to local stores to look at items in person, then return to the internet to place their order or pass along the websites as their wish lists.

Yes, you read that last part correctly. Please use your community stores as free showrooms for online retailers.

I can't begin to tell you how that made my blood boil...especially since this segment came on the heels of a piece about the shortage of seasonal retail jobs due to the economy's impact on small business.

Duh...but how about the impact of the media on small business?

Newsflash. It's not just the economy that's kicking retailers in the teeth. It's you. It's your continual recommendations to forego local retailers and jump straight to the internet. It’s forgetting that a community is the sum of its parts, not just the residential side. And it’s playing cheerleader for the very thing doing the most damage to independent businesses while bemoaning their disappearance.

I’m headed to the national Gift and Home Trade Association conference today, where I’ll be presenting two seminars to vendors and reps about the concerns of independent retailers this weekend.

Might add a section about stemming the tide of bad press, as long as I have their ear.

I’ll post from Sanibel, where it’s at least 40 degrees warmer than it is here....

November 10-14 coupons

Here’s the inbox pile for this week:

Galison/Mudpuppy
Tel: 800.670.7441
wholesale.galison.com
Still stocking up on holiday merchandise? Get 5% off with this offer. Use coupon code WONE (good one time only per account). No expiration date shown; check with vendor.

Marsupial Press
Tel: 425.251.8558
Fax: 425.251.8998
marsupialpapers.com/imprint_new.htm
They’re becoming a regular on the Shopping List. This time, it’s 15% off any purchase, excluding custom invitations. Use coupon code #1001. Offer expires November 20, 2008.

Heartstrings
Tel: 334.887.6514
heartstrings.net
Better dial ‘em up fast; this only lasts tomorrow, and the rules are nit-picky. Get a 10% discount on all personalized engraved orders (due to the late notice, only current accounts will be able to do this). Now...for the fine print: (1) You have to use their special “One Day Sale” order forms; (2) they must be “faxed to the correct department;” (3) they “must be received by midnight, November 15;” and (d) this maxes out at 25 engraved and 25 embroidered items. Best advice? Grab the phone immediately, call them up, and ask that the “special” form be faxed to you right now. They’re in the eastern time zone, so move quick. One day sale-—Saturday, November 15 only.

Epson
EpsonStore.com
Epson Stylus Photo printer RX680 on sale now for $89.99, after $60 instant rebate -and- exclusive $20 discount with coupon code 8ZNASE. Expires November 17, 2008.

And a heads up for Jon Hart customers:
If you didn’t get the email about holiday orders, the 2008 cutoff date is Tuesday, December 9th. Most of us recognize that as a week later than in years past...which might just be a saving grace this year. Contact Jon Hart for additional information.

Happy buying!

*As always, some offers are limited to current dealers. If you don’t carry the lines, take a look anyway. Might be a good time to add fresh product to your lineup.

Don’t write that check

Once again, I see a familiar name making the rounds in the stationery industry, coaxing retailers to join their “guild” and, by extension, their website, with promises of better Google results, more visibility, and heightened customer awareness. They’ve been trying to get this concept off the ground for two years, but only recently were able to actually produce the site itself. I do not endorse their program, and for that reason, will not mention them by name here. Rest assured, this is not a vendor.

Before you write a fat check to any third party offering inclusion on their website, seriously consider the following:

1. Links are golden, yes. But do the math. If you link to them from your site, link to them from your blog, link to them any time you write an article, and link to them any time you appear in a press release, they rack up more and more links. That brings them more and more visibility in Google searches. You, on other hand, still only get one link from their site, via the store locator. Not a very equitable trade. This will not pop you up the Google list.

2. Their new website is, admittedly, very elegant. It incorporates many elements that every stationery store website should include-—and my own did, during my retail storefront days. Explains why in web searches for “personal stationery Minneapolis,” “wedding invitations Minneapolis” or similar, my store was consistently one of the top two listings. Every time. Why pay to promote someone else’s website-—that includes your local competitors, by the way-—instead of investing in your own site, promoting only you in an equally elegant, equally information-rich, and equally professional manner, simultaneously pushing you up the Google list?

3. The suggestion that inclusion in their site significantly helps consumers find you is pretty thin. Think about it-—when a bride is looking for invites, she’s going to Google the term “letterpress wedding invitations Omaha,” not search for some association website she doesn’t have a connection to in hopes there might be someone listed nearby. Equally likely, she’s combed through wedding websites and publications, is going directly to vendor sites, then using their “find a retailer” function to locate the exact look she wants.

4. SEO, SEO, SEO....Search Engine Optimization. That’s a big term that freaks a lot of retailers out. Bottom line: Google (and other search engines) continually change their algorhythms-—the math used to search out sources and pages on the web-—so that no one...NO ONE...can hold those top positions hostage. There are a lot of SEO folks out there who claim to provide top-of-listing results, but they don’t guarantee it in print. They can’t. The algorhythms change faster than you change your socks. It’s like a meteorologist promising .253 inches of rain will fall at exactly 7:42 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Good luck with that.

So how do you find your way to the top of the listings? To customers’ eyeballs? By (a) hiring a knowledgeable web designer who builds attractive sites, understands search engine optimization, and provides references that can verify the success of both; (b) incorporating rich content into your site, including placement of applicable keywords in the text and metatags; and (c) frequently updating your site with fresh content. There aren’t any shortcuts, but once the site is built and running, the rest is a lot easier.

As for the articles, press releases, etc....? If you’re going to spend time writing anything, write it in support of your own store, not for another website. Include a link to your store site in everything that appears online; that helps build your Google visibility. Start a blog. Today. And visit PRWeb.com to learn about how easy it is to promote yourself through press releases (their free Press Release 101 section is terrific). Each press release should include links to your store too, again, raising your search odds.

Sink the money into you. Into your store. Into your website. That, dear friends, is your best investment, hands down.

It’s a lot smarter than handing someone else a fat check that pushes their site higher while yours languishes on the bottom of page 14 on Google.

P.S. In a search of just one city in their store locator, I’ve already turned up a discounter, who used to be storefront but is converting to all-internet as we speak. So much for vetting. Caveat emptor, folks.

Taking control of your future

At the request of several retailers, I’m presenting the following teleseminar in two weeks. Please forward this to any store owner you think might benefit from the information....

Audience: Retailers who want to stay upright and breathing
When: Monday, November 24, 2008
Time: 8:00 p.m. E / 7:00 C / 6:00 M / 5:00 P
Duration: 1 hour

Description:
Retail has never been harder, nor the risks greater. As a store owner, you have a lot on the line-—from inventory to your home mortgage, odds are just about everything in front of you is tied up in what happens the next few months...or few weeks.

This teleseminar boils the “What do I do now?” list down to five vital actions that need to be taken to protect you and your investment as the consumer market twists and turns. The goal of this session is to assure that you’ve stacked the deck in your favor, prepared and protected-—regardless of how the game plays out.

Cost:
$37.00 per enrollment
Space is limited; feel free to have multiple people listen in on a speaker phone. (Note: This seminar is structured for retail business owners; some information may be more sensitive than what you typically share with employees.)

To subscribe to this session:
Click here to be taken to the Always Upward home page, then click on the event link. Major credit cards and PayPal credit accounts are welcome.

Not a retailer?
Odds are you know someone who is. And odds are, they need all the help they can get. Feel free to spread the word to anyone you think might be interested. I hope to see as many of you as possible; there’s no time to waste.

Lead with a loss

Maxine Clark, founder of Build-A-Bear, announced a new program to address tightening budgets-—beginning today, the pre-adorned bears will drop in price to only $10.00 each. Whether that means all of them (including the $25 pink one) or just the basic brown version, I don’t know. The announcement is recent enough that the B-a-B website has yet to be updated.

In tradition retail terms, the $10 bear is called a “loss leader.” You offer one item at a discount-—usually a deep discount, nearing cost-—to bring in shoppers who are likely to continue buying other products at full price. In this case, the inexpensive bear acts as an effective vehicle for the full price add-ons that can quickly push the price of a simple toy into the stratosphere. Some consumers will come in that otherwise might not have...and a fair number (both new and regulars) will use the savings as justification for adding an extra piece or two, which more than likely will price out above the $10 saved up front.

That’s the idea behind loss leaders. Hook the customers, then let ‘em keep spending. It’s inconceivable that Grandma Liz would just buy the naked bear. That’s not what B-a-B offers. The moment granddaughter Madison gets the thumbs up, additional purchases are guaranteed.

Which gave me an idea. What if stationers were to offer deep savings on the price of the reception card in wedding orders? Deep enough to make it reeeeeally tempting, but not so deep you’re exceeding your comfort level. What bride needs just a reception card? To get the deal, they’ll also need to pick up the rest of the invitation suite, at full price.

Bait and switch? No. You aren’t hiding or raising prices on anything. You’re simply putting a sale price on a portion of the order that requires the remainder of the order to be complete. Kind of like a naked bear who needs pom poms.

If you have a young niece or daughter, you know what that means. If you don’t, well...don’t dwell on it.

Monday, 11.10.08 editor’s note: I see that today, Build a Bear is running actual commercials promoting the special. Look for this to be the first of many big box loss leaders coming your way.

NO.

Many are the unexpected notes I find in the mailbox each day that put a smile on my face.

This was not one of them.

For the record, I am nowhere near “a certain age” yet. I am, however, going to give my postal carrier permission to start screening my mail.

Damn.

Stimulus Plan

This week’s email included an interesting item from Open Table, the convenient restaurant booking site. Not surprisingly, diners are thinning out as budgets grow snug, which inspired them to launch the “Appetite Simulus Plan,” a price fix program running five days, mid-November, in several cities across the country.

The lineup is fairly eclectic, offering something for everyone. Prices for the special three course meals run $24 for lunch or $35 for dinner, regardless of location. Better yet, diners booking through Open Table receive double the usual points for booking the special, as many times as they like.

This is a good example of cross promotion. The restaurant gets business. Open Table gets business. Customers get a good deal, with enough selection to make it fun. Win/win/win.

Look around at the businesses who neighbor your own. Look at those across town. Consider those that naturally connect by product type, or by customer base. Think of a creative way to work together beyond the norm. (Note: If you’re in the wedding industry, be sure to consider which elements of the event are booked before yours, so you aren’t connecting to customers too late in the timeline.)

Don’t limit yourself to holiday fare only; now’s the time to be planning your 2009 marketing strategy too.

That’s one way to put it....

Nine hours in a car gives you a lot of time to sample local radio stations, most of which offered pretty predictable fare over the weekend. From Minnesota to Nebraska, contemporary to country, very little surprised me-—with the exception of two spots on KRGI FM in Grand Island:

Ingenuity Award
A 30-second spot paid for by the local Chamber of Commerce touts the many ways Grand Island is not being negatively impacted by the current economic slow down. From a rock-bottom foreclosure rate to a growing employment rate, this statistic-loaded PSA serves as an impressive way to bolster continued cash flow while comforting nervous concerns.

“Aren’t I Special” Award
KRGI’s own 15 or 20-second spot, boasting (and I’m quoting as closely as possible here) they’re “ranked number one among listeners who said they like this station best.” Hmm. One would certainly hope so. Being ranked number two by that crowd would be pretty depressing.

I certainly don’t suggest mimicking the second option, but the first...? Why not roll out a campaign of your own, listing ten ways life continues to be stable, happy, and secure in your store in spite of the real world willies? Use them as bag stuffers...create a big window banner...send out an email newsletter with them...just get the good word out.

Better yet, turn it into a top ten list (a la Letterman style) building up to the number one reason life is good at Anderson’s Card Shop: We like it here...and you will too.

Just DO IT

A little reminder aimed at those for whom subtlety has no meaning:

If you don’t vote, you can’t bitch. Period.

Sorry ‘bout the language, but having seen Canada clock in at a dismal 59.1% voter turnout, I’m pretty fired up about pushing folks out the door and into the booth.

Now....GO.