Archive for July, 2006
If you haven’t seen it, the Glue Dot Shot Pro is a time-saving tool that every basket designer should have in their workroom.
Glue dots are double-sided adhesive dots. They are used in gift basket design for pre-positioning and holding basket components in place.
The Dot Shot Pro is a dispenser that makes applying glue dots quick and easy. It is lightweight and easy to use. Apply 1 glue dot or many glue dots by rolling the Dot Shot Pro along any surface.
For more information about the Dot Pro Shot and samples of glue dots, call Apex Gift Foods at 800-348-2369 and ask for Richie. Or go to our web site to place your order. Order by July 31st and get $5.00 off. Refills for the Dot Shot Pro are also available.
July 28th, 2006
Are you thinking about putting together some marketing materials to showcase your gift baskets? You can take great pictures without paying a professional! The Portable Lighting Station will let you take professional looking photographs easily!
Basically, the Stations are screens that you set up on a small table. The screens allow for even light distribution so that your products are perfectly lit with no shadows.
At Apex Gift Foods, we’ve been using a Portable Lighting Station for several months. We’ve been very pleased with the results. Our products look better than ever!
Go to the Joey Glass Studios website to see detailed information about the Lighting Stations. Joey also offers advice about how to take great photos!
July 24th, 2006
Unity Marketing, a research firm, recently published a report that provides insights on consumer’s buying habits. One of the interesting findings for gift basket businesses was that “about 60% of buyers budgets were spent buying gifts for holidays, and about 40% buying gifts for various gift giving occasions such as birthdays, weddings and anniversaries.Christmas gift purchases and birthday gifts were the two biggest gift-giving occurrences”.
This data provides strong support for keeping good records of these important events in customer files. Not only should these records be kept, and customers contacted when these dates approach, special promotions can also be run to encourage your customers to choose a gift basket when buying for these occasions. Make sure that you have photographs of baskets that you sell for these special days. If you have a storefront, set up a permanent display for special occasion baskets, but make sure you change the display often. Check your customer files regularly and call a few weeks before the special day to see if they might be interested in a gift basket. Offer to add a keepsake to the basket such as a photograph or some item that relates to the recipient’s interests or hobbies (eg. golf balls, mystery novel, etc.).
Given everyones’ hectic schedules, you can do much to create loyal customers by helping them take care of gifts for their loved ones and friends.
July 20th, 2006
In the mid-1980’s, the snack industry saw a pretzel boom! This was in part due to the low fat diet craze that was storming the country at that time. Full Story
In recent years, in an effort to step up pretzel sales, manufacturers have introduced a variety of flavored and filled pretzels to the market place. While a huge variety of gourmet snacks are now available, you can never go wrong by adding a bag of pretzels to your gift basket designs.
And Apex Gift Foods offers quite a variety of pretzels for you to choose from! Honey mustard, jalapeno, chipolte, and cajun are some of the bold and zesty flavors that Apex sells.
Buy any pretzels this month from Apex, mention PRETZELBLOG, and get 15% off. Your customers will love these pretzels!
July 18th, 2006
Fifty-three percent of people trying to cut back on regular soda say they are switching to bottled water. That is up from 46% just a year ago, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Full Story
At Apex Gift Foods, check out our bottled water selections. Miller Springs Water is available in two sizes: 341ml or 750 ml. In aqua colored plastic bottles with decorative silver caps, these will add a “splash” to your baskets. Perfect for picnic baskets or any time you want to add a beverage to your design.
Go to Apex and give your customers what they want. Mention WATERBLOG when you order either size of Miller Springs Water and get 10% off.
July 16th, 2006
Try to read this article in the online version of Specialty Foods Magazine: “Getting Zapped” by Ari Weinzweig, co-owner of Zingerman’s Delicatessen in Michigan. Full Story
Zingerman’s is a highly successful operation and the owners are dedicated to making it better! Their approach to long range planning is inspirational!
In short, Weinzweig explains that planning is an essential part of creating a successful business. What I like most about their approach is their commitment to developing a vision: “a picture of a successful future”. This includes what the company will look like in a couple of years, what it’s known for, what competitors and customers will be saying. Employees at all levels of the company are involved in this process. According to the author, this participation by all workers results in intense levels of loyalty and commitment to company goals.
Once the vision has been created, the next steps include planning and implementation. The article goes on to with details about these phases.
Regardless of the size of your business, creating a vision for your business may well be the best way to ensure it’s success.
July 10th, 2006
Fifty-seven percent of consumers seek foods with a specific health claim, according to the Natural Marketing Institute. Certainly, consumers are increasingly concerned about what they eat and eating “healthy”. This is even more of an issue for people who have food allergies and can suffer greatly if they eat something that gives them an allergic reaction.
Make sure that you and your employees have all of the information that you need regarding the ingredients of products that you sell. You may have a customer who wants to send a gift to someone with very special dietary needs.
By having this information available for customers who inquire, you will provide a service far beyond what the mass marketers might offer. Another way you can stand out from the crowd!
July 4th, 2006
