Take a look at your counter from the customer’s side and see what purchase opportunities they are presented with which stand out from the traditional counter. Consider de-cluttering the counter and placing a small stack of a single everyday stationery item. Paperclips, staples, small staplers, bulldog clips, thumb tacks, adhesive tape, pens … all of these items could work. The key is to make them accessible and enticing. Maybe a three for two deal or buy 2 and get 25% off.
The key here is to add to the basket at the counter by selling products which wouldd otherwise not have been purchased by the customer at the time.
Stationery sales are challenged in newsagencies. This is partly our fault by not treating stationery with respect and failing to support everyday items to more who enter our businesses.
Here are some tips for stationery at the counter:
- Only promote one product at a time.
- Make the offer compelling.
- Choose everyday products which everyone would use.
- Train your staff to offer the up-sell.
- Track sales.
- Change the offer every week.
- Run the campaign for four weeks before assessing the results.
- Make sure the counter is free of clutter … your offer must be easily seen and understood.
- Don’t buy items in for this – one benefit of the promotion is to show off what you usually sell.
There’s nothing to lose and plenty to gain from a few minutes work setting this up.
Paper clips sound a great idea. A few years ago I ordered 10 boxes of 33mm x 50mm paper clips and received 10 boxes of 10 of each so we are still selling them. We are so far away from Brisbane that it would cost me more to send them back than keep them. I also have the same thing with pipe cleaners. On the counter they go!
Typo – 33mm + 50mm paper clips
Carol make sure it’s a value offer and make sure you and your team do offer it to every customer.
Why Sunday?
Mal, it is Sunday marketing tip , not do it on a sunday .every Sunday MArk does a different marketing tip which I must say I look forward to reading ,any advice no matter how small is always good
Has anyone read sunday mail pge 8 kylie lang on sunday.
we’ll pay for this price war
what ive been telling my customers for ages its not coles v woolies their aim is to take us out
Mal, these Sunday tips are for any time. I call them Sunday as that is when I run them. I figured some newsagents may pass by here on a Sunday with more time.
Cheers.