Archive for November, 2007
If you don’t already have an on-line store to sell your gift baskets this holiday season, think seriously about building your store to be ready for Holidays, 2008. “Cyber Monday, the Monday immediately following Black Friday and the ceremonial kick-off of the holiday online shopping season, saw $733 million in online spending, representing a 21 percent increase vs. last year and an 84 percent jump from the average daily online spending totals during the preceding four weeks.” Full Story
Last Spring, I posted an entry on this blog about creating an on-line store. Included are resources to help you get started. Set some time aside every week to learn how you might proceed.
Browse the web and look at other gift basket stores to help you identify “the look” you want. Take some time to navigate through your favorite stores and think about what makes shopping on that site easy or difficult. Talk to others who have on-line stores and ask for their recommendations and suggestions about what you might include in your store.
Building a beautiful on-line store does not automatically guarantee that you’ll sell your products through the web site. You will also need to learn how customers will find you on the web (search engine optimization). You’ll find many books in your local bookstore to help you understand this concept.
Unless you’re a computer wizard, I’d suggest talking to several web site designers to find out how they might help you. Get a written quote from each designer that lists exactly what they will do and what features the web site will include. Compare these quotes carefully and show them to someone else who already has a web site to find out if the work to be done and charges are competitive.
It’s a big job to build a web site. But don’t despair! Get some books, talk to others, and formulate a plan. Then just do one step at time! If you learn what you can and take advantage of resources available to you, you can create a successful on-line store.
November 29th, 2007
Just read a good article in the October 2007 issue of The Gourmet Retailer: “Check Out Areas Leave Lasting Impressions”. Too often, our check out counters can be a mess! It’s where we keep phone books, extra pens and supplies, it’s a “lost and found” area, and a general “catch-all” for things that no one knows where else to put. The authors suggest that “the front check-out is a selling department and its appearance, organization and level of interpersonal care is a reflection of your business and attention to detail”.
Here are some tips to make your check-out area an important part of your store:
- First, of all: make sure the area is clean! As I said previously, the check out counter can easily become the space where employees drop things that don’t have a “permanent home”. Customers may inadvertently leave shopping lists or coupons on the check-out counter. The check-out counter is often the last impression that customers have of your store. Make sure it’s a good one!
- Put some “suggestive items” at the check out counter. Make sure these are small enough so that they don’t take up too much counter space. (For example, single serve cookies or chocolate truffles displayed in a basket.) You can sell these items or just offer them for “tastings” so that your customers can request to have their favorites put in the next basket they order.
- Have your cashiers wear name-tags and make sure they engage the customer in some conversation. They can simply ask: “Did you find everything you need?” Or they can comment on what the customer has chosen: “I tried those cookies last week and they were delicious”. The cashier may be the last person your customer sees in your store. Once again, be sure that this is a positive experience.
November 27th, 2007
Make sure that you add these blogs to your regular reading list: Gift Basket Business World, written by Flora Brown and Gift Basket Business, hosted by Shirley Frazier. I try to read both blogs regularly and always come away with new ideas about how to run a successful gift basket business. Both blogs provide links to other web sites presented by Shirley and Flora and you’ll be thrilled with all of the resources you’ll be able to access.
I just wanted to mention two recent posts that I read from each of these versatile business women.
In Flora Brown’s article: “Thanksgiving, Time to Give Thanks in Your Family and Business”, Flora offers five great ideas for marketing your baskets and increasing your business. Her creative ideas can be implemented right away and will help you “get a jump on holiday sales”.
And if you’re thinking about trying to sell gift baskets for the first time during this holiday season, see Shirley Frazier’s blog: “Start a Gift Basket Business Now?” You can also link to her article “Tis the Season to Start Selling” that will give you more ideas about people you might contact who might be interested in purchasing gift baskets.
November 23rd, 2007
As business owners, we want our employees to provide “good service” to our customers. In these days of internet shopping and mass merchandisers, we want our businesses to stand out from the crowd. We want customers to remember our great service and come back repeatedly for more! So when we tell our employees that our mission is to “provide the best customer service possible” what exactly do we mean?
It’s important that we are very specific with our employees about how we want customers to be treated. Some of our employees may be “naturals”. They just instinctively know how to provide “good service”. But others may need specific guidance in this area. When I got my first job, I knew enough to be polite to customers, but truly didn’t know how I could actually be “of service”.
For example, you may want your employees to greet each customer who comes into your store: “Hello, my name is Lorie. Welcome to Apex Gift Foods.” You might want employees to go further: “Is there something in particular that you’re looking for today?” (My father always told me that the majority of customers come into our store for a reason. They haven’t decided to stop by just for fun.) You may want your employees to check back every 5 or 10 minutes with a customer who says they are “browsing”.
However you define “good customer service”, make sure that you explicitly tell your employees what you want them to do. Give them plenty of opportunity to practice these behaviors, then offer them feedback or praise for what they’ve done. The quality of our customer service programs will be a direct reflection of the quality of training and guidance we give to our employees.
November 19th, 2007
It’s hard to believe that it’s already November! Store displays are already yelling: Christmas is coming! Here are a few things to think about so that you’re sure to be ready for the holiday rush.
- If you’ll need temporary employees, decide how you’re going to find those people: newspaper or web ads, postings in your store, word of mouth, etc. Make sure that you’ve thought out the type of help that you need: someone to answer the phone, make deliveries, take orders, design, etc. Then, be sure to emphasize the exact skills you require when putting out the word.
- Do you have all the inventory you need for your holiday promotions? If you’ve been advertising gift baskets that include specific items, make sure you have the inventory you need or know where you can get it quickly. Find a couple of sources for each product, so that you don’t get stuck if your primary supplier runs out.
- Also, check out your packaging supplies: baskets, fillers, wraps,etc. Do you have enough containers for the number of baskets you expect to make? Do you have shredded fillers, ribbons and enhancements in holiday colors that will accent your designs?
- And, don’t forget shipping supplies: labels, tape, paper or foam for cushioning arrangements. Make sure you know your shipping company’s holiday schedule for pick-ups and deliveries. Then, make sure your staff is aware of this!
For those of you who have been doing this for years, please share your thoughts and ideas about some things we should all be considering before the holiday rush begins.
November 14th, 2007
“Since 1845, Lindt Swiss Master Chocolatiers have put passion and meticulous craftsman ship into creating the finest chocolate.” The Lindt Chocolate web site has a wealth of information about this well respected company and a very interesting history of chocolate. After browsing through the Lindt web site, I thought of an idea for a fabulous gift basket.
Make a basket full of Lindt chocolate delicacies. Then, go to the Lindt Chocolate web site, and check out recipes that include Lindt chocolates as one of the ingredients. For example, on the web site you’ll find a recipe for making brownies using Lindt chocolate bars. Copy the recipe on a pretty note card and include it in your basket.
Add oven mitts and a spatula if you want to create a “baking theme” for your basket. Or, if you carry other foods that need to be prepared (for example, soup mixes, chili mixes, etc.), include everything in the basket that would be needed to create a full meal!
Use your imagination. And try the recipe for the brownies. They’re delicious!
November 12th, 2007
Every day, new products are appearing in the marketplace that gift basket designers can use in their baskets. Keeping up with the newest products and trends can be a full-time job!
Let your wholesaler do some of the work for you! At Apex Gift Foods, we are constantly on the look-out for new products for your gift baskets so that you can delight your customers. One of items that I like best is Bellagio Sipping Chocolate from Caffe D’Amore. The manufacturer describes this product as “the espresso of chocolate”. Europeans have been sipping and savoring chocolate for centuries. Now, you can offer this decadent treat to your customers. Single serve, 1 oz. packages are available in dark chocolate and mint chocolate flavors.
And here’s another idea: On the Caffe D’Amore web site, some recipes are listed for their products. Check out the recipe for a Bellagio Sipping Chocolate Martini. Make a copy of that and put that in your basket too!
November 8th, 2007
Are you looking for a new snack to include in your gift baskets that all your customers will love? Cheese sticks and cheese straws may be the answer! These rich, buttery cheese flavored snacks are a perfect addition to any style of gift basket. Popular with dips or as a stand-alone snack, cheese straws or sticks can be added to your most elegant baskets or fit perfectly in baskets for any occasion.
John Wm. Macy Company makes twice baked sour dough cheese sticks that have drawn raves since the company started in 1984. You can accompany their original cheddar cheese sticks with one of their sweet flavors: dutch chocolate or java cinnamon, both perfect companions to coffees or teas that you can also include in your basket.
Or, try cheese straws from J&M Foods, a family owned company using a 100 year old family recipe. Their cheese straws in cheddar cheese, blue cheese or asiago cheese flavors will satisfy your best customers.
November 5th, 2007
