Christmas Fun

We hope you've had a fantastic start to your Christmas selling season. Do you have some specials and promotions all lined up for your customers? In case you're still looking for something fun to do, we suggest the following, based on a childhood Christmas tradition.

Pick up 1 or 3 (odd numbers are always better) colorful Christmas elves to preside over daily specials in your store-- the Annalee Co. makes some cute little flexible elves that can be posed in lots of positions. Wherever the elves are perched for the day, that product is on special. It doesn't have to be a BIG special, just something off. The fun comes because the elves move around at night, and customers never know what product will be on special. Of course, to find the elves and the daily special, requires looking ALL AROUND the store. Give it a try, and let us know how it works for you!

FYI

We just wanted to give everyone a potential "heads-up". While this rumor can neither be confirmed nor denied yet, our sources tell us that Wal-Mart will be featuring the Cricut as a Day-after-Thanksgiving doorbuster for $139.99.

Creating Christmas Excitement in Your Stores

Our mail carrier is working overtime these days filling our mailbox with catalogs of enticing products, attractively displayed and wrapped, and it got us to thinking... How can we create this same excitement (and need to buy!) in a scrapbook store?

Answer: Attractive packaging that screams "Take Me Home," appealing displays (frequently changing, of course), and that Christmas staple-- The Gift Set!

How many times have we all picked up The Gift Set for a friend or loved one, even knowing they probably won't use everything in it, but it's so attractively packaged, well priced, maybe even pre-wrapped, and it's just darn cute!

So here are some ideas to get you started. First, look around you in catalogs and department stores, etc. Explore the clever ways merchants are packaging and presenting product. And, really, do any of us NEED any more of this stuff? Of course not! But we buy it anyway.

Now, think packaging. Here's an idea to start you-- these brand new brightly-colored, "stylish & practical" organizing boxes from Around the Block

The set of 6 boxes is $9 cost and can be broken down as follows:

$.75 cost ea. - 4x4x3.75 - 2 boxes
$1.50 cost ea. - 9x9x4 - 2 boxes
$2.25 cost ea. - 13x13x4 - 2 boxes

So you have a minimum cost in packaging-- now fill it with fun things. Maybe take the 2 small ones and package for "Girl Pages," (pink box), and "Boy pages," (choc. box). Fill with fun brads, ribbons, embellishments-- whatever. Put at least one "WOW" in the box, and maybe something you're trying to get rid of, too. Then tie it all up with a pretty ribbon & bow. Leave one or two open & attractively displayed, but go ahead and wrap up the others. Pile them around your store-- make it easy for a customer to pick up wherever in the store she's shopping.

And customers shopping your store in November and December WANT TO BUY-- not just supplies and essentials for themselves, but they're hunting the perfect gift for everyone on their list. Give them what they want.

If these boxes don't do it for you-- use something else, but think Christmas! Think excitement... pretty papers ... pretty ribbons... where better than YOUR store for a shopper to find the perfect gift?!?!?

And let us know how it works for you ...