Posts filed under 'Gift Basket Supplies'
Every month in Gourmet Retailer Magazine, a promotional calendar lists special events and holidays for upcoming months. Create and send your own calendar to your customers by email or direct mail so that they are aware of your creative promotions.
Here are some interesting and fun promotional ideas that you can use to spruce up summer sales.
June 9th is Donald Duck’s birthday. How about a newborn baby basket that includes duckie toys, bibs, cups, and other baby gifts? A cartoon video for older brothers and sisters would also be appreciated!
June 13th is the only Friday the 13th in 2008. Offer a 13% off sale on some of your newest basket designs.
Strawberry season starts on June 22nd. Design a basket that include all of your strawberry flavored items: tea, hard candies, cookies.
One hundred forty nine years ago, on June 27th, the “Happy Birthday to You” song was composed. Offer special pricing on all your birthday baskets during the last week of June.
One last note: June is Effective Communications Month. This might be a good time to have a staff training session that focuses on learning new customer service skills.
May 13th, 2008
I saw an ad in Gourmet Retailer Magazine about a new item for gift baskets: Gourmet Herb Garden Kits. These would be great addition for a gift basket with a “cooking” theme.
Go to Gifts That Bloom to learn more. The complete in-door gardening gift kits are a perfect gift for avid gardeners and beginners alike. In addition to the Herb Garden Gifts, the company offers over 250 gifts including kits for flowers, plants and trees. “Just add water and sun!”
April 27th, 2008
In January, I posted an article in this blog about bans on plastic bags and reusable totes. Well, the gourmet food industry is going green!
Now, at Apex Gift Foods, you can purchase Envirosax Reusable Shopping Bags and spread the environmental message with style.
Lightweight polyester, portable, waterproof and weighing just 1/4 oz., Envirosax Reusable Shopping Bags can hold the equivalent of two supermarket plastic bags thanks to reinforced seams.
Envirosax Reusable Shopping Bags, printed with exciting, trendy graphics, are a perfect gift idea and can easily be included in your gift baskets. Each bag rolls up into itself and snaps shut and is small enough to stow in a handbag or glove compartment.
Or, build your basket in one of these 19.5″ x 16.5″ bags and do your part for our environment.
Go to Apex Gift Foods for more information.
April 21st, 2008
The All Candy Expo is the largest candy, confectionery, cookie and snack show in America. This year, the event will be held May 20-22 in Chicago, Illinois.
The gourmet marketplace will feature confectionery and snack products including premium gourmet items and all natural and organic products. “The confectionery, biscuit, and snack categories combined are a $70 billion category in the United States.” Join over 5000 buyers to see the newest items in the marketplace. Go to the All Candy Expo web site for more information.
If you sell housewares products, the 2008 Gourmet Housewares Show will be held May 6-8 in Las Vegas. This year, the focus will be on the environment and new product launches. If you can plan a last minute trip, go to The Gourmet Housewares Show for information.
April 16th, 2008
“The National Retail Federation estimated Halloween sales would near $5 billion in 2006, up 51% from 2005.” Additionally, the average consumer spent over $50 on Halloween goodies! Furthermore, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that adults are getting more into the spirit of the Halloween season, throwing parties and decorating their homes and offices. (from Florist Review Magazine, August, 2007).
Don’t overlook sales opportunities for this seasonal celebration. Create and promote gift baskets baskets with Fall and Halloween themes. Start with fillers in seasonal colors. Add scarecrows, witches, pumpkins and gourds on picks to your gourmet designs. Finish with a big bow in seasonal colors.
Please share your ideas about how you promote this popular holiday in your gift basket business.
September 16th, 2007
Just read an interesting blog about things to consider when starting a home based gift basket business. There’s lots to think about and author Randy Wilson identifies some of the most important factors.
First, it’s wise to write a business plan. This will help you clarify your goals and aspirations as well as help you think out how to reach those goals. The Small Business Administration offers free materials to help you with this. I think that part of this phase should also include an examination of the competition in your area. What are other gift basket makers offering? What can you offer that will set you apart?
Next, you need to list the office supplies you’ll need: phones, computer equipment, etc. You should also look into business insurance in order to protect yourself and your customers against unforeseen circumstances.
Third, think about inventory. Wilson suggests that you don’t need a lot of inventory for start-up, but on the other hand, you need to have enough product to be able to make creative baskets in a timely manner that will satisfy your customers. Consider starting with product assortments that will give you a variety of items to work with. If you need a list of items you should have on hand to start-up, see my earlier post on this topic and learn how to get start-up inventory lists and discounts for new gift basket businesses.
Fourth, contact your local government to learn about regulations in your city, county and state that might affect how you start your business.
Finally, before you start, think about how you will market your business. Advertising costs money, but it’s necessary to have a plan and a budget for this so that you can draw customers to your business.
And be sure to invest in “How to Start a Home Based Gift Basket Business, 4th edition”, by Shirley Frazier. Shirley covers all the points listed above in great detail and provides step by step instructions that will help you get your gift basket business off the ground.
September 9th, 2007
Sending a gourmet gift basket is a heartfelt way to express condolences. Foods are often an important element in funeral traditions that families and friends follow as they work through the process of grieving. Most cultures have specific traditions that include certain foods to mark the passing of a loved one. For more information on funeral culinary traditions, check this web site.
Also, check out Apex Gift Foods‘ new line of sympathy gifts. Parchtone Scrolls and Books of Love can be included in your sympathy basket. Your customers will appreciate your offering them a way to express their feelings with an everlasting gift.
August 10th, 2007
I read an article today in Gourmet Retailer that suggests that although consumer spending was strong during the first half of 2007, it may start to lag. Consumer debt, high gas prices, rising costs for food and other staples have resulted in a shift in consumer attitudes about buying.
Predictions are that consumers will continue to shop. But, they have been trained to wait for sales! “Consumers are bunching their shopping around times of big clearance sales, hurting retailers’ profit margins and making the underlying sales trends unclear.” Full Story
Given these circumstances, it may be a good time to start thinking creatively about how you might entice customers to shop early for the holidays. Offering early bird discounts is one technique I’ve seen many companies use. But this too, cuts into profit margins. So the question becomes: how can you offer a sale, but still control your profits?
This is a time when your skill and creativity in buying and marketing may provide answers. Your vendors offer sales every month. Is there some way to use those sales to your advantage?
For example, at Apex Gift Foods this month, you can buy organza ribbon at just $1.99 per roll. During the holiday season, many of your customers buy ribbons from mass merchandisers for their own holiday gift wrapping. Why not give your customers a free roll of ribbon with every holiday gift basket they order before October 1st? They might pay $5 per roll for this at the mass merchandiser, but they get if from you for free! (And it only costs you $1.99.) In contrast, giving a 10% discount on a $50 basket at the end of the holiday season costs you $5.
Take this a little further. You could also give a class in bow making! Schedule this class at the beginning of October before it gets too busy. This would bring customers into your shop and possibly facilitate more sales!
Sometimes, we have to make our profits when we buy for our companies, not sell. Look for sales that make sense for your business. Don’t just buy merchandise because it’s on sale. Decide first how you can fit that merchandise into your inventory and your marketing program.
July 26th, 2007
Go to Festivities Publication’s on-line magazine: Gift Basket Review, to learn techniques for wrapping your baskets with cellophane and shrink wrap. Free video downloads, featuring Debra Paulk who demonstrates these techniques, are available for subscribers to the web site.
Your on-line Gift Basket Review membership will include access to Gift Basket Review Online Magazine where you will find seasonally updated articles related to running your gift basket business plus marketing and design tips and tools. Additionally, you will have access to Gift Basket Review’s on-line archives that includes pages and pages (and pages) of advice and ideas for every aspect of your gift basket business.
And if you’re looking for great prices on cellophane and shrink bags, visit Apex Gift Foods. Tell the customer service rep that you saw this posting and get 10% off your next cellophane or shrink wrap/bag purchase.
May 11th, 2007
May is National Barbecue Month. Go to the official web site of the National Barbecue Association for information about the history of barbecue, recipes, accessories and anything and everything you might want to know about barbecue!
In the meantime, design a Barbecue gift basket. Include chips, salsa, meats, cheeses, mustards: all the stuff your customers will want for their backyard barbecues. Check out your local Dollar Store and add barbecue mitts or grill accessories to your basket. Make copies of a few great barbecue recipes and include those in your basket. With Memorial Day coming up at the end of the month, add a red, white and blue bow to your basket and celebrate two holidays at once.
Please share your ideas for Barbecue Gift Baskets. Have fun with your basket creations!
April 23rd, 2007
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