So ... I get an email yesterday from Lucky magazine. Crazy excitement!! We've been wanting to put together press packages to send to different publications, but just haven't been able to get to it ... so the fact that they contacted us is just pretty darn cool!Here's the thing ... they want to feature us in the Lucky Breaks section for the December issue. What does this mean? We'll get a whole lotta publicity! But it also means I need to offer a 25% discount on the entire broadwaypaper.com web store for 60 days!! Yikes! That will hit me hard.
I have to be honest, this paper store does not yield me much {read any} money! It's pretty much a break even business for me. I know my rent for this gorgeous store is outrageous ... but still! Another little secret is that I sweat when I offer a small 10% discount. When I first bought the store I never offered discounts ... refused! I've loosened up a bit ... but this offer has me a little shaky.
I know I'm gonna do it. You can't say no to Lucky ... although, I did have to say no to Martha a few months ago ... but that's a different post.
So here's the other thing ... they'd like some 'sophisticated' holiday items ... by next week! I haven't started ordering holiday from my 'sophisticated' companies yet. Another yikes!! They need about 25ish things and pick only one to use in the feature. And that's another thing, how can one product represent your whole store?
Liz, Erika, Susy, Nicole, Emily, anyone, anyone ... I need some sophisticated holiday designs ... like yesterday!
{and dear readers ... now that I spilled my secret ... promise you won't wait til November to place your orders!}
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8 comments:
Tracie,
I own a paper shop in Kansas City, Missouri called Bennett Schneider. We also purchased our store four years and I definitely feel your pain on the whole discount thing. We were in Milwaukee a few weeks ago - I am from there - you do have a great space - I can only imagine the rent! Good Luck!
JoEllen Bax
Bennett Schneider
www.bennettschneider.com
Check out Bonnie Marcus: www.bonniemarcus.com
They just sent out an e-mail to their special customers with a preview of their holiday stuff which is on sale for early birds. I think it will fit with you store and also appeal to Lucky readers.
Also, I will make sure to continue to order from you in October, November, and December regardless of when the discount is offered! You provide the best retail service I have ever received from any online retail store.
awesome! thanks shannon!
As an owner of a small business doing only slightly better than breaking even, I can totally understand where you're coming from. Our cookies were the feature cookie in the Dean and Deluca catalog several years ago, and I'm pretty sure we lost money.
This year we had to turn down Williams Sonoma for their holiday catalog. I so wanted to do it, but it just wasn't going to financially benefit us.
I've ordered from you twice and had great experience both times. I didn't even use my 10% coupon (lost it). But it doesn't matter your products and service are worth every penny.
Furthermore, in my experience (20 years in retail), it doesn't pay to train your customers to wait for sales.
Making tough decisions is a big part of running your own business.
very exciting about lucky! but its so interesting to hear the perspective of a business owner about these sort of discounts. i've used those lucky discounts many a time and never thought twice the impact on the other end...now i will! good luck on your decision. you have a great shop...have been a fan for some time now.
[and thanks for your comment about deep impressions on my little blog .. i'm with you!]
Hmmm...that is a pickle. I just had to say NO to a large retailer (something I never thought I'd do) because they wanted the stuff for so low of a price it would have 1) forced me to print in china which i'm not going to do and 2) tick off all of my other retailers, such as yourself.
I do think the exposure you get from being in Lucky magazine is awesome and perhaps will generate enough {additional} sales that even with the discount being offered you will benefit in the long run. Just make sure you have the shipping thing dialed in because there is nothing like a hit of PRESS to make you learn real fast what does & doesn't work in terms of processing orders {again, I learned the hard way!}
J :)
Hey girl! That is great news! And scary news!! I know what you mean.
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