I have data for a small suburban store that has clocked 825 units of boxed Christmas cards up to earlier this week. That is well over $10,000 in revenue from a category in which this business had not focussed in the past.
Thanks to simple, consistent, social media messaging, thoughtful in-store placement and a small footprint counter pitch, the boxed Christmas cards are selling like hot cakes.
Whereas the previous owner had the view boxed Christmas cards don’t sell here, the new owner decided to not manage to meet low expectations. This is important as it allowed the business itself to show what I could achieve.
For years, this business was run based on the assumptions of what the owners knew would work yet here we are under new ownership and seeing what can work.
While you may hear you are not your customer from suppliers and others in the newsagency channel including me, it is hard to live up to that, it is hard to be genuinely open to what a business can do … especially if resources are tight and your capacity to weather mistakes is limited.
My advice is to work at being open, at giving your business opportunities to surprise you. Be drawn to those who will challenge your view. Take time to consider suppliers who were told by previous owners their products would not work.
This business, in less than a month, has added over $6,000 in GP from a product category that the previous owners rejected year after year because of their belief it would not sell in that location.