"Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude."

-- Ralph Marston

by Jami Petersen

Competing with chain stores is one of the toughest things a retail store has to face. Most consumers like supporting the smaller, independent stores but visit chains for the cheaper prices. So what's a retailer to do? Fran Saperstein has some practical ideas to close the gap between you and the larger competition. You don't have to be the biggest store out there, just the SMARTest.

Jami Petersen
newsletters@a-z.com

Adhesives

Occasionally Scrapbooking.com Magazine would like your opinions on different topics that are relevant to the craft industry. We would appreciate your valuable feedback about adhesives:

Click here to participate. . .
 

Press Releases

News you can use about the latest media coverage of hot trends, noteworthy events and dynamic industry leaders. Learn more about the current headlines in arts and crafts by clicking on the title of each article segment.

Scrapbooking company attempts fresh start after bankruptcy. "Creative Memories will no longer be employee-owned when the company gets through the bankruptcy process. Anderson said the company will be free of its debt, and will be able to expand its products online and grow."

Living with Less: Getting creative during a recession. "While retail numbers in December fell to their lowest point since the 1970s, some local craft store owners said their business is holding steady. National chain craft stores Michaels and Jo-Ann Stores experienced strong sales in November and December for “small-ticket craft supplies” despite sluggish overall sales, reports The New York Times."

Sayreville students preserve special memories in school club. "...the children will spend about 40 minutes every two weeks perfecting the art of scrapbooking. At the end of the program, each child will receive a scrapbook in which they can proudly preserve their memories for future enjoyment."

by Fran Saperstein

Why Consumers Shop Wal-Mart and What You Can Do About It!

The past two weeks, we’ve discussed how the industry has boxed itself into a corner with all the intricate products and I provided both retailers and manufacturers with some strategies to better support new scrapbookers as they enter the market.

As a follow up, we asked some scrapbookers on the Scrapbooking.com Magazine bulletin board for their insights. We asked these consumers where they purchase scrapbooking products. While many did enjoy shopping their local scrapbook store, many regularly shopped at Wal-Mart, Michael’s, and other large chain stores.

Today we will discuss why consumers continue to shop at the larger chain stores and what can manufacturers and independent retailers do to recapture this market.

Let’s first consider why the new scrapbooker would start to shop in a large chain store:

1. They are already in the store getting other products for their families.
2. The selection is fairly limited, making their decisions easier.
3. There are always coupons and promotions to take advantage of.

These are the usual comments and concerns we see, but how is an independent retailer to compete with this? Let’s take the reasons above one at a time:

They are already in the store getting other products for their families.

Now, I am not at all recommending that a scrapbook store start to carry groceries or children’s clothes. However, I am suggesting that when choosing your location, the surrounding stores should be considered. Is the shopping center a destination for busy women? Is there traffic to ensure that people are coming and going and that your store will be seen?

The selection is fairly limited, making their decisions easier.

This is, to me, the crux of the issue. New and occasional scrapbookers are often overwhelmed by the selection out there. To ensure that everyone who enters your store has what she needs to make her decisions, consider these strategies:

1. Make your store easy to navigate; use signage to help guide people through the store.
2. Merchandise by theme – make it easy for a new scrapbooker to find what she needs to complete a project.
3. Merchandise by brand – the intermediate and advanced scrapbookers will prefer to shop their favorite manufacturer collections.
4. Merchandise by product category – the advanced and intermediate scrapbooker can easily find what she needs to finish that specific project.

Overall, the idea is to make it easier for a busy person to easily find what she needs, when she needs it. The more convenient you make the purchase process, the better your relationship with your customers.

There are always coupons and promotions to take advantage of.

1. We’ve said it before in this column: Promote, promote, promote! There should be events monthly and weekly.
2. Accept coupons from your competition! Yes, I mean that 40% coupon that comes in the mail every Sunday! If you don’t accept that coupon, you are basically telling your consumers to go elsewhere.
3. Provide your own coupons for your consumers. One way to do this is through Scrapbooking.com Magazine’s Premier Retail Store program. The program includes an online coupon that you can change monthly. Learn more about this program by clicking here.

In the end, it’s about making shopping easy and convenient for your customers. It’s about providing your customers with a reason to come into your store, and it’s about being located where they already need to go, as well as allowing potential customers to easily find you. Be SMART, learn from the big chains and hold your own in the marketplace!

PSRO 

Dedicated to those helping consumers preserve treasured memories.

The Professional Scrapbook Retailers Organization™ (PSRO™) bridges together retailers and suppliers for insight into the memories market.

Through educational programs, business services, industry research, networking, and events, PSRO leads its members to discover, understand, and act on new business opportunities.

For more information, or to join PSRO, visit www.psro.org or contact our member service department at 517-788-8100.

The Board of Elections selected the Pigma® Micron® to mark ballots for the Presidential election.

The Chicago Board of Elections selected the Pigma Micron 08 pen for citizens to use to mark their ballots for the 2008 Presidential election. The quick-dry time, waterproof and fade resistant ink qualities translate into a permanent record of an individual's vote. The smudge-free rich black mark ensures the highest scanning accuracy by authorized ballot scanning machines. A Federal requirement mandates that all ballots be safely stored for twenty-two months after an election. Municipalities are confident when using the permanent, light-fast pigment ink of Pigma Micron that ballot vote marks will not fade, smear or feather after being counted and stored. The patented high quality of PIGMA ink mirrors Sakura of America's corporate philosophy that each individual has the right and Power to Express® their beliefs and creativity.

"We are pleased that the Pigma Micron pen was selected as a tool for Chicago citizens to express their desire for a new direction, and cast their vote in this momentous election," states Peter Ouyang, Vice President of Marketing and Product Development. "Sakura of America is known worldwide as an authority of ink technology, and for its research and invention of permanent, fade resistant, chemically stable inks. Our strong ties to Chicago communities are through Grimstad Comerford Group, Inc., our representative for over a decade."

About Pigma Micron and Permanent Writing Instruments
The Pigma Micron pen was invented and patented in the early 1980s. Pigma Micron preserves official records of architects, archivists, anthropologists, entomologists, and laboratories. Manga artists, cartoonists, and professional illustrators use and tout the benefits of the rich black color of PIGMA® ink. Scrapbook and craft hobbyists preserve and create mementos that last a lifetime with Pigma Micron.

To prevent personal identification theft and check washing, it is vital that checks and legal documents are signed with ink that is waterproof and chemical resistant. Fraud resistant, permanent ink is also delivered in Gelly Roll® fine and medium point, SumoGrip® II, and Pigma Sensei® Manga drawing kit pens.

About Corporate Philosophy
The corporate philosophy states that all people have ideas and thoughts worthy of expression, and each individual has the right and Power to Express® their beliefs and creativity. This translates into the company goal of providing state of the art writing instruments and art materials that are high quality and affordable.

About Sakura Color Products of America, Inc.:
Sakura Color Products of America, Inc. is headquartered in Hayward, CA; the company services the U.S. and Canadian markets, and is the U.S. subsidiary of privately held, Sakura Color Products Corporation of Osaka, Japan. For company, product details, and a retailer locator: sakuraofamerica.com or call 800-776-6257.

About Grimstad Cornerford Group:
Grimstad Comerford Group provides an experienced, results-oriented sales team with the abilities and resources to penetrate, build and service the Art Materials, Craft, Scrapbooking and Paper Arts industry. The ability to develop markets, both short and long term, is part of our stability and our success. Contact at: gcgnet.com 800-536-4278.