Some customers want
orders shipped so fast that you don't have time to buy products from
a wholesaler.
Your ability to turn the order into a sale often
depends on readily-available stock.
If you don't have certain
products on hand, you may have to purchase products from a local
gourmet store.
The price may be somewhat higher, but for now,
closing the sale is your ultimate goal.
When you arrive at the
local store, you see many familiar products sitting on the store's
shelves.
Chocolates in small red boxes are in one aisle. You see
your customers' favorite biscotti stacked in a discount bin.
Suddenly it seems that your specialty items aren't so special after
all.
Some designers become
concerned when they see products that seemed exclusive to them
selling in department, grocery or specialty stores.
The concern is
valid, but don't panic. Just make choices according to what's best
for you and your customers.
Do you believe that
clients will begin to question the cost of a basket that's made with
products found locally?
Loyal customers will already be sold on your
ability to create heartwarming baskets that are hand delivered or
promptly shipped. Chances are that you won't hear any complaints
from them.
Manufacturers and
wholesalers, like gift basket designers, must find places to sell
their products.
The money they collect from our purchases, albeit
substantial, simply isn't enough to keep their doors open.
They must
find other profitable markets, and if they don't, the product won't
be found in your baskets or on store shelves. It will simply cease
to exist.
Such is the case for one
cookie company located in Virginia. Their delicious cookies,
available in a variety of flavors, were packaged in
beautifully-designed containers.
This company attempted
to sell exclusively to gift basket designers, but sales were slim to
none. By the time the company considered selling to retail stores,
they'd run out of money. The business promptly closed.
Another manufacturer,
one that sells bath and body products, also tried selling only to
gift basket retailers. But before all the cash was gone, they
decided to change their marketing plan. Now they sell exclusively to
other manufacturers that want to private label their products. This
manufacturer is thriving.
The desire to sell
exclusively to the gift basket industry is a noble endeavor, but
it's not always lucrative for a manufacturer that hopes gift basket
retailers will be just as loyal.
You
have the freedom to choose whether or not to buy a product. If
you're a designer who likes creating gift baskets using items that
are not available everywhere, your choices are vast because many
products aren't sold nationwide.
But don't expect this exclusivity
to stay constant. Product availability will change over time as will
your region's economics and your customer base.
Consider visiting stores that stock gift basket-type merchandise
every quarter or every six months.
If you begin seeing many products you buy from wholesalers, start
making adjustments as you see fit. Or perhaps you'll make no
adjustments because your customers love what your provide in terms
of design creativity and service.
The fact that some
products are sold locally will not give customers ideas about making
their own gift baskets. Mixed nuts and boxes of chocolates won't
conjure up thoughts of anything in the customer's mind except
hunger.
You can ban a product from your gift baskets because it is available
locally, but remember: that's the same product that helped you
close the sale. Local access is a tradeoff we can handle.
©Shirley George Frazier. All rights
reserved.
