"We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated."

-- Maya Angelou, poet

by Jami Petersen

Offering classes in your stores are opportunities to sale product and build relationships within your community. A few independent retail store owners shared with us some of their tried and true ideas for classes, teacher involvement, and class rules. Many of these tips are easy to implement and adjust to fit your store needs.

Try these ideas as you plan your spring class schedule. And, if you have other ideas that work in your store, feel free to share them with us. Send me an email with your ideas, and you may see them published in future newsletters!

Jami Petersen
newsletters@a-z.com

Wooky Entertainment

Target New Consumers:

Teenagers with the Paris Hilton Creativity Collection. This new line is for teens from 10 years old and older who are interested by scrapbooking. Following the latest trends and fashion, the Paris Hilton Creativity Collection is adapted for teen girls of 2010!

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For more information : info@wookyentertainment.com

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.
 

JHB Announces New Collection For Spring. Spring is the time for fashion and colors; JHB has combined both in their new collection. The spring collection is over the rainbow or at least contains all the colors in the rainbow. This collection has a wide variety of color, shape, size, uniqueness in design and multi-use buttons. There are over 5,000 buttons to choose from in the entire collection.

Digital Foci Announces Major Update For Picture Porter 35. Digital Foci, a leading provider of digital photography accessories for consumers and professional photographers, announced today a major new firmware update for the Picture Porter 35 (model PPR-350) high-capacity 250-500GB portable photo manager. New essential features in the 1.2.1 firmware update include incremental photo backup for easier backup, full screen preview and selection for convenient viewing, USB mode selection for secondary backup to external USB storage devices, and new professional DSLR extended camera support for RAW, EXIF data, IPTC and histograms.

The Daylight Company Makes Life Easy With New Line of 'Easy-Twist' Lamps. The Daylight Company, the world’s leading maker of high quality specialty and magnifying lamps, is making life easier for a wide range of people with three novel 'Easy-Twist' lamps that allow users to aim glare-free natural light exactly where it’s needed.

The Memory Tradeshow

The Memory Tradeshow is the premiere market for scrapbooking and related products, family history and digital imaging.

It is the most important gathering of this industry regionally, and it’s attracting executives from all sectors: manufacturers, retailers, distributors, suppliers, sales reps, designers and press. The show’s goal is to provide the highest ROI show within the industry with a greater focus on the business of the memory industry, education and best business practices.

Learn more and save >>

by Carla Riley-Felt

Classes are often the heart of a retail store's scrapbook community. Here are a few ideas some retailers have had success with in their stores:

• Include your teachers in store functions - Some stores consider teachers as part of the staff, and they are included in store meetings, incentive programs, etc.

• Educate your teachers - Make sure that all teachers know that products used in class must be for sale in the store. The main purpose of having classes is to sell merchandise and brand the store!

• Play to your teacher’s strengths - If your teacher loves advanced designs and smirks at simple pages, do not have her teach a Scrapbook 101 class!

One store had a customer who sewed everything on her layouts and mini projects. They convinced her to teach a sewing class making a mini accordion album that was assembled using her sewing techniques. This instructor will probably teach another class in the fall and may eventually become a regular instructor!

• Create a Design Team - advertise it, make it exclusive, and offer perks and benefits. As a responsibility, have them teach 2 classes a year.

• Set Rules - Be fair to the store and the instructor. Set rules so that both parties are aware of their responsibilities.

Set a class minimum, if the minimum is not met 3 days prior to the class, cancel the class. Have attendees pre-pay for the class. Give each attendee a class receipt with all the class information on it. Include a cancellation clause such that if the person is a “no show” her class fees are forfeited. Or if this is too harsh, transfer the fees to another class. Call all attendees 2 days before the class to verify attendance. In your class contract offer the teacher a set amount if all attendees are no shows.

• Repeat Classes - If it is designed well and sells out, offer it again! All the work for the class has been done so take advantage of it and offer the class again. One store has a class that they offered 5 times in 2 months and it has sold out every time!

• Display Class Samples - Having a sample prepared before the class is announced is very important. As well as being featured in the store, put out flyers, feature it on your website, and your hard copy and email newsletters.

• Make things easy - Have your teachers do the prep work for your customers whenever possible. This includes things like cutting mats and cardstock to sizes needed for the class.

• Classes not working? Having problems with classes, ready to give up? Try these ideas:
-On 2 successive Saturdays offer a make-and-take or a demo to your customers. Advertise it, put a sign at the front counter, and make sure your salespeople mention it to your customers.
-Design a class incorporating the demo ideas that you will be presenting to your customers.
-Make a sign advertising the class and have it at the front register as well as the make-and-take or demo table.
-See how many people sign up for the advertised class. If this doesn’t work try something else, ask your customers and staff for ideas – don’t give up!

Remember, as you read the ideas presented in this article, evaluate your own program. What can you do better or differently to increase class size and ultimately the revenue stream classes provide!

Stampin’ Up! to renovate color collections with launch of 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog

Color is uniquely personal. Some people are drawn to soothing, soft shades, and others relish energetic, vibrant colors. Regardless of color preference, Stampin’ Up’s renovated color collections available July 1, 2010 has something that everyone will love. The company extensively researched trends in fashion, design, paper crafting and home décor for almost two years in addition to holding focus groups with customers and demonstrators to decide on the palette of colors that would make up the color renovation.

Stampin’ Up!, a manufacturer of decorative rubber stamps and accessories for greeting cards, scrapbooks, craft projects and home décor, is based in Salt Lake City and has almost 40,000 demonstrators worldwide who teach the art of paper crafting.

The renovated color collections will include 25 carryover colors, 10 returning In Colors (which are now core colors), 5 new core colors, and 5 new In Colors, for a total of 45 colors. The company will continue to offer five new In Colors each year, and In Colors will have a lifespan of two years. Colors are divided into four collections: Subtles, Brights, Regals and Neutrals.

“We’re thrilled with our color renovation,” notes Shelli Gardner, co-founder and CEO of Stampin’ Up! “We’ve always been known for our color coordination. These new collections allow us to continue our commitment to that approach, and combine it with an exciting new line of fresh, vibrant colors. Each collection is so beautiful, people will have a hard time choosing which collection is their favorite.”

The new color collections offer many versatile choices, and as always, include a wide variety of coordinating products and accessories. Whether you have a color collection already in mind, or you want to explore the options available in Stampin’ Up!’s complete line, you’ll want to see the exciting new world of color for yourself.

About Stampin’ Up!
Stampin’ Up!, a 21year old, multi-million dollar direct-sales company, offers an exclusive line of decorative stamp sets and accessories for home décor, greeting cards, craft projects, and scrapbooking. Currently, tens of thousands of demonstrators from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom teach the art of stamping. Stampin’ Up! operates two state-of-the-art facilities including an 80,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Kanab, Utah; and a 300,000-square-foot corporate office, distribution center, and demonstrator support call center in Riverton, Utah.