We’re seeing excellent year on year sales of plush this Christmas season. While some sales have been to customers visiting to purchase cards or gifts, others have been to customers who know us as a plush destination. This is thrilling.
Achieving $750 and more in a day in plush sales is wonderful. Achieving it day in day out in the run down to Christmas is excellent. We could have achieved more had we not sold out of some lines – but that’s a good problem to have this close to Christmas.
We have created the plush results for ourselves as part of our business plan from mid 2012. Not only the sales ahead of plan, the net new traffic generated by the category is ahead of plan. It’s terrific seeing the business plan deliver these results.
The success with plush is a reason I prefer to focus on being a retailer in my businesses as opposed to being an agent. People are coming to us because of decisions we have made and actions we have taken. They are coming to us for us and not for a product or service over which we have little or no control as to where they get it, how much we make from it and or how much someone else promotes it.
The more of my business over which I have control the better for the future of my business.
Footnote: the photo reflects another reason for success with this category – our team creates displays that attract shoppers from within the shop. This line of colourful bears toward the back of the shop draws people further into the business. We’re always thinking beyond front of store displays. Attention to visual merchandising and product placement mid way through and at the rear of the store are just as important as the front window.