Kole Imports Blog

Warm weather is typically viewed as a business boon.  Common logic assumes that that warmer the weather, the more likely it is that the average person will head outside and into shopping centers.  However, those of us who have worked in retail know that this does not always hold true.

magine: It’s a Saturday, the weather is perfect and you anticipate record sales for the day.  You unlock the doors of your dollar store or general merchandise business and get to work.  Quickly scanning the floor, you straighten any items askew or in the wrong place.  You work hurriedly, expecting the first customers of the day to come in early, maybe within the first hour of business.  Once you’re done preparing for the onslaught, you take a seat at the register and wait for the sales to start rolling in. You wait, and wait, and wait … And no one comes through the door!  No regulars, no new customers, not even any window-shoppers!  It doesn’t pick up in the afternoon, either.  You end the day with just a few sales in the register and many questions on your mind.  What went wrong?  Where were all the shoppers if they weren’t out shopping?  What could you have done differently to increase your daily sales?

If this scenario sounds all too familiar, it may be time to consider taking your dollar store out the door. I’m not suggesting that you walk the streets in a giant dollar suit or start selling your merchandise from a random street corner, but I am telling you that it may be time to consider a new approach to summer sales.  Let’s examine the aforementioned questions raised by our hypothetical summer sales flop.

1)     What went wrong? This is a tricky question, and impossible to answer with complete accuracy.  However there are a few basic tenets of summer shopping that are often overlooked or misinterpreted by retailers.  Many assume that when the weather is warm people are more likely to spend the day outside, and therefore they are more likely to go shopping.  This idea is only half true.  Yes, when the weather heats up people are more inclined to spend the days outside.  However, we must also consider the reason why they are more apt to go out.  It’s because of the lovely weather, of course!  And if people are venturing outside because of the weather, they are more likely not to enter your store.  On summer days, many would-be shoppers prefer to remain outside, soaking up the sunshine and the pleasant ambiance of summertime.

2)     Where were all the shoppers if they weren’t out shopping?  Just because shoppers aren’t taking advantage of the deals offered by your dollar store does not mean that they aren’t out there looking for the latest in general merchandise.  Summer is the season of swap meets, outdoor malls and farmers markets.  These open air marketplaces enjoy huge popularity during summer months because they allow shoppers to remain outside while also filling their retail needs.  While no one was inside your dollar store, there may have been hundreds of potential customers just down the street at your local swap meet!  

3)     What could you have done differently to increase your daily sales?  Get in on the farmers market craze!  Go to your city council (or online) and find out if you can apply for a booth at any local open air events occurring throughout the summer.  Of course, for some of you this might be impossible due to waitlists, extensive application processes, or lack of opportunity.  In that case you can still add a summer spin to your regular retail location and increase your sales by taking a few simple steps.  Grab several of your most seasonally-appealing items and place them just outside your storefront, as if you are having your own “sidewalk sale.”  Make some eye-catching signs, add a salesperson to monitor outdoor activity, and voila!  You have your own mini outdoor market! 

Kole Imports’ dump displays and summer-themed pallets are perfect for this type of merchandising.  For example, DA135 (Summer Toy Starter Pallet) is filled with irresistible summer impulse buys.  Items like pool toys, swimming goggles, water guns, and beach toys are the kind of low cost/high return merchandise that can add that sales boost you desire while also attracting summer shoppers who might otherwise pass you by.  Don’t forget that Kole Imports’ PromoPallets ship free on orders over $1,000 and can be set up in under one minute, making it easy to set up an attractive “Summer Sale” section just outside your store! 

The beauty of summer is that it brings us outside and into our communities.  By adding an open-air feel to your dollar store or general merchandise business, you encourage shoppers to stop and view your merchandise.  You also gain the opportunity to have direct conversations with your customers, as well as receive immediate feedback from them.  And such personal interaction dramatically increases the probability that they will return to your store, even when the weather turns cold.

Bringing people together- isn’t that what summer is all about?

It seems like almost every day at Kole Imports I am faced with the same deceptively simple question: “What kind of merchandise do you carry?”

This query is posed by new customers, trade show attendees and corporate buyers. It comes up in phone conversations, show room visits and sales calls. It is the fundamental question that inevitably arises from the ambiguity of a business category that seems to encompass everything and nothing at the same time:
General Merchandise.

Defining this term is an essential ingredient for success in the dollar store and wholesale industries. If your customers don’t know what you are selling, how can they be expected to buy your merchandise? As a marketer, I run into this problem quite often when I am reaching out to new customers.

For example, I recently called a buyer for a convenience store chain with the intention of introducing him to Kole Imports’ merchandise. “What do you sell?” the buyer asked. How does one answer such a broad question in a clear and concise way? I tried the obvious response: “What typesof items are you looking for?”  I asked. But this approach led right back to where we started. “I don’t know. That depends on what types of items you carry,” he said. Ay, there’s the rub.

 How can a customer create a purchase order if they don’t know what items are available? And how can a merchant explain what is available in a warehouse containing thousands of merchandise categories?

So, what is “General Merchandise?” For those of us who work in the business, that’s a tricky question. Our merchandise can fluctuate day-to-day or even hour-to-hour! The first step to finding an answer is to get specific about your business. What unique services do you provide along with the goods that you sell? Even when dealing in general merchandise, we all perform at a certain level of specialization. We may even have multiple areas of specialization, depending on the customers with whom we typically deal.

Take Kole Imports: We specialize in being Your Profit Source®. We are most commonly known as a source for dollar stores. But sometimes we have to get more specific than that. It pays to consider not only what “General Merchandise” means to your business, but also what it may mean to your clients’ businesses.

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If a pharmacy buyer comes to you for merchandise, think about what items their customers are likely to purchase. Pharmacy customers are probably looking for a more specialized version of the merchandise you already carry in your own wholesale warehouse or dollar store. That is why it is so important to have a working knowledge of other industries besides your own. Know the businesses of the clients you are targeting, and be prepared to quickly list several merchandise categories from your stock that are directly applicable to their businesses.

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That’s how I approached my convenience store conundrum. The buyer wanted more information, but didn’t know where to start. So I researched his convenience store chain and got an idea of their store layouts, their merchandise, and their typical clientele. By applying this newly gathered information to my current knowledge of Kole Imports, I decided that PromoPallets would be the best place to begin.

PromoPallets are perfect for convenience store chains due to their ease of setup and variety of merchandise. PromoPallets featuring auto accessories, pet supplies, and even health and beauty items appeal to the impulse-buying tendencies that most convenience store shoppers harbor. I did my homework, and in turn, the convenience store buyer was able to see how “General Merchandise” could be applied to his specific store!

Though your business may fall under the broad heading of “General Merchandise Suppliers,” you don’t have to treat your customers in a generic manner. By becoming an expert in industries outside of dollar stores and wholesale markets, you can to adapt your “General Merchandise” business to fit almost any specified need. And if you can do that, you will never again be caught speechless when someone asks:
“What exactly do you sell?”

Flexible Screwdriver With 30 Bits # OB623

Take a look at what you’re selling in your store.  Do you have enough items for men?  I’m talking about real men who like to go camping and  know how to fix things.  Men who take a shower after work every day, not before.  If your store lacks items for such men, you’re missing out on a key demographic.  Even if these guys don’t shop in your store, their wives and kids do, and they’ll be looking for a good deal on manly gifts for Christmas and birthdays.

Think of how proud Manly Customer will feel when he’s with his friends and asks them “How long is your measuring tape?  Oh.  Mine is 100 feet long.  Yeah, that’s right.  100 feet.  But yours is fine, as long as you never have to measure anything big or important.”  Not only will you have one happy customer, but all of his insecure friends will flock to your store to buy their own 100-foot measuring tapes.

Ah, June. The sun is shining, the birds are singing and everywhere it seems like couples are getting hitched. It’s that magical time of year when the balmy air and blooming buds lend the perfect background to bridal bliss. That’s right, it’s wedding season!

But before you start getting all misty-eyed while planning your best friend’s bridal shower or bachelorette fete, think about this: How much is it going to cost to get those teeny-tiny place cards for 65 of your closest girlfriends? How much do those elegant invitations cost, not to mention the postage? Where will you find the perfect shade of pale pink ribbon to artfully tie around each and every champagne flute? And what about that sparkly stuff you always see scattered on party tables? What is that stuff, anyway?

Don’t worry, you can have your wedding cake and eat it too. How, you ask? By “working the wholesale wedding,” that’s how! At Kole Imports, we carry many wedding-themed items, from bachelorette favors to bridal shower décor. And all of these nuptial knockouts are priced at wholesale levels. So forget scouring the web for wedding boutiques or specialty party suppliers. With items from Kole you can do it all: send invitations, buy placecards, coordinate tableware, add table scatter, and even find the perfect shade of ribbon to top it all off!    

      

 Here’s what I mean:  Using only items from the Kole Imports showroom, I was able to put together a lovely table setting that is perfect for a casual bridal luncheon:

Table Spread Features: HM826, HM821, KI842, KI037, & KS271

Having access to such a wide variety of items at wholesale discounts is one of the many perks of becoming a Kole Imports customer.  We are constantly getting new closeout party supplies and unique decorations for all occasions.  From wedding and anniversary, to birthday and graduation, Kole Imports has the party supplies for your pending occasion.  And if you are a wholesale distributor, take advantage of our ever-changing merchandise.  Don’t forget to check our website frequently for the latest news in closeout deals and seasonal sales.  The best deals never last long in our stock room, and if you snag them right away they won’t last long in your store, either! 

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So the next time you find yourself in charge of decorating for that “dressycasual” bridal shower or “creative cocktail” bachelorette party, you’ll have a little secret up your “formal daytime” sleeve: Kole Imports!  Never overlook dollar stores or online wholesale merchants when searching for specialty décor. Often, it is at places like these where you will find the most unique party items at the best values.  And when your best friend inquires where you managed to find such perfect accoutrements for her beach-themed bonanza, you can simply say, “Oh, I know a little place …”                           

“Advertising is a racket, like the movies and the brokerage business. You cannot be honest without admitting that its constructive contribution to humanity is exactly minus zero.” F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote these words shortly before his death in 1940. It is a gloomy view of commercial business, to be sure, but is it true? Does promoting your business have to be a “racket” from which people struggle to escape?

Not necessarily. Sure, if you follow the typical strategies of blaring commercials and neon ‘Sale’ signs, people are going to view your advertisements as noise. Some advertisers even count on this. They write jingles and repeat phrases in excess so that it becomes impossible to tune them out. But other businesses take a different approach. The smartest advertising campaigns are the ones that sneak into our heads and stick there, without us even realizing we’ve been caught!

It’s not as nefarious as it sounds, trust me. I’m simply suggesting that perhaps it is time for us to tune down our advertisements and tune in to our customers’ needs. Here are some simple ways to amplify your impact on potential customers without making a “racket”:

1)  Show, don’t just tell! If you’re having a great sale or making an exciting change to your business, don’t just tell people about it with loud print ads or obnoxious commercials. Show your customers the great deals they will be getting by putting special items front and center in your dollar store. Make the best deals easily accessible, so your customers can’t miss them. At Kole Imports, we constantly update our home page with “Dollar Store Deals of the Week” to allow customers one-click access to incredible deals.

2) Merchandise, merchandise, merchandise. Keep your store fresh and appealing to the eye. Change your store window once a week and take some time to make it unique. Don’t just stack boxes of merchandise in your storefront, arrange items so that they tell a story or evoke a mood in shoppers. You don’t want customers to see the same, tired merchandise gathering dust. You want people to feel as if they need to check in with your dollar store regularly to see what exciting changes are happening at the moment.

3) Don’t be afraid of making a “theme.” Use holidays, changing seasons and neighborhood celebrations to keep your store salient. For example, when the weather starts heating up, try making a special “Summer Grilling” section in your dollar store to play into customers’ natural inclinations. We have some great grill accessories at Kole Imports like BBQ Scrapers (HL041), Gingham Table Cloths (HZ084) and Plastic Cutlery (HM107). Items like these catch people’s eyes, making them desire things they didn’t even know they needed!

4) Make Your Dollar Store Make “Cents.” Items should be grouped according to their uses. Items that work together should be placed near each other on the floor. Think of a grocery store: salad dressing is next to the lettuce, coffee is right by the creamer. Use the same principle in your dollar store. If you have tools and hardware, make sure they’re grouped together! If you carry gift bags, place them next to the gift bows!

5) Appeal to Impulse. Every dollar store should have small, lower-priced merchandise displayed within an arm’s reach of the cash-wrap. Such items should be “add-ons” like pens or candy; things that enhance a customers’ purchase without adding too much cost to it. Kole Imports’ PDQ countertop displays are excellent examples of impulse buys. A breeze to set up, they can fit on your countertop within the sight line of customers checking out. Take the Scented Bubbles Tray (SI003): Irresistible!

6) Know Thy Merchandise. I can’t stress the importance of this enough. Have you ever tried shopping in a store where you feel like you know more about the merchandise than the staff? It’s difficult, not to mention aggravating. You will build customer trust and be your own “advertisement” if you can be give customers suggestions or ideas that no one else can offer. By paying attention to your customers’ needs and sharing your knowledge and experience, you gain the most valuable and “racket-free” form of advertising: Word-of-Mouth. One good customer review can do wonders for your in-store traffic. People trust their peers, and if one of them highly recommends your dollar store, it is extremely likely that others will follow their advice.

There you have it: advertisement minus the racket. And who knows? You might even be making a “constructive contribution” to the lives of your customers by satisfying their needs and providing answers to their questions. How’s that for making advertising count, Old Sport?

[Merchandise Photos by Marat]

onday morning: it marks the beginning of a brand new week for all of us. It’s the opening day for new challenges, new solutions, and new opportunities to make positive changes to your business. I’m not trying to sugarcoat the inevitable dread that comes along with the end of the weekend. I am just as prone to a debilitating “case of the Mondays” as the next person. But I am trying to point out that Monday mornings are a chance for us to re-examine the issues we faced during the previous week with a clear head and refreshed point of view.

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With this in mind, I try to use my Monday mornings for brainstorming.  Marketing relies heavily on creative thought, and my Monday morning brain is usually just empty enough to allow new ideas to flow right in.  I typically start by checking all the major news sources for business and media developments.  In order to stay ahead of the competition you’d better at least stay on top of current events, right?  Whether you are a dollar store owner, a wholesale distributor or a closeout buyer, in this age of instant communication there is a salient news source for any industry, including yours.

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And so, in the spirit of Monday morning, I’d like to share a brainstorming tip with you:  Sometimes the most unexpected places lead to the most useful wisdom.   In my case, that unexpected place was the Fashion & Style section of the New York Times.  Now, before you accuse me of confusing “brainstorming” with “reading for my own pleasure,” give me a chance to explain.  The article I found was called, “Three Merchants Beat the Recession by Selling to Kids,” by Michael Winerip, and the stories it told are applicable to all of us: suppliers and distributors alike.  Here’s what I learned:

“Adults who stop spending on themselves in bad times will still spend on children.”

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Parents want the best for their children, even if it means scrimping on items for themselves.  Most parents would rather see their kids have decent school supplies and clean clothes than spend money on personal items.  Spending on children can even be a pleasurable experience for adults.  It feels good to be able to make your child smile or keep your baby warm, even when you have been hit by bad economic times.  This is especially important for dollar store owners to note.  Dollar stores are in a unique position to provide school supplies, toys, educational games, and other children’s items at the best value possible.  And by increasing stock of children’s merchandise, dollar store owners can simultaneously raise sales and profits.

Spending on a child’s talents or interests is viewed by many consumers as an investment. 

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The article cites the example of a business owner who says he ‘can’t afford not to work,’ but makes sure to send his college-aged children on trips to Puerto Rico and Europe.  On a smaller scale, the same concept can likely be seen in your very own dollar store.  You have probably seen customers who will pass on items for themselves, but still purchase items used to benefit their child.  In general, parents place nurturing a child’s education over other spending because they see it as an investment that will bring future returns, not a waste of money. 

How does this apply to your dollar store or wholesale business? Simply put: children’s merchandise is the New Necessity. And in the dollar store and wholesale businesses, we thrive on stocking necessities for less! Every dollar store and wholesaler alike should keep this fact in mind when ordering new merchandise. Re-evaluate your current stock to see how much of it is geared toward children. Are you lacking in crafts or educational hobbies? Do you supply enough toddler apparel and school supplies? Try adding more children’s items like those pictured here. Not only can these items increase your sales, they can also revitalize the future of your business.

 As a marketer for Kole Imports, I often face  the challenge of making buyers see beyond merchandise category labels. I love this part of my job because it gives me a chance to help wholesalers and closeout dealers see the versatility in our merchandise. For example, yesterday I was on the phone with a wholesale floral supplier who had a problem: “I just don’t see that much I can use,” he said, “I’m not a dollar store.”

“You may not be a dollar store but your goal is to make a profit, right?” I asked him, “You want to get great savings and pass them along to your customers, don’t you?” Obviously, he responded affirmatively. Because that’s what we all want, suppliers and retailers alike. Our industries may be different and our “labels” diverse, but the goal of our businesses is the same. We are all in the business of making a profit.

And as profit-makers, sometimes we need to get creative. When you’re looking for the best deals and trying to stay a step ahead of your competition, you need a discerning eye and an open mind. That floral supply wholesaler was missing a valuable opportunity to take advantage of hundreds of products in our stock. He didn’t see the hidden gems hiding in merchandise categories that don’t immediately scream, “Floral Supplies!” Therefore he was missing out on a way to get great items at great prices, while also adding merchandise to his inventory that his competitors either don’t have or sell at much higher price points.

I’m going to give you the same tips I gave him. Here’s the list of items I gave him, along with their “alternate uses.” I think you might be surprised by some of the ways our merchandise can be used:

CC184: 7” Round Mirror
Floral Uses: Table embellishment. Place mirror underneath bud vase display for a quick dose of elegance.

 GV151: Small River Stones
 Floral Uses: Vase filler for bamboo and other floral arrangements to add natural appeal.   

 RB170: Peach Novelty Trim
 Floral Uses: Arrangements and displays. Adding a touch of bright ribbon or tulle can bring even a single flower to life!

GC705: Glass Round Bowl
Floral Uses: Great for parties or weddings. Fill with water and use to float flowers and even tea light candles!

 So for your next purchase, why not try to capture that creative edge over your competitors? Look into merchandise categories on our website that you have never browsed before. You may be surprised by what you find. Mr. Floral Supplies certainly was. He ended up making a purchase that very same day, and from what I hear, he will be reordering soon.

How many of you have heard that line one too many times? I know I have. It was the first thing I learned as a 16 year-old hawking T-shirts over the summer. But have you ever stopped to consider what that phrase actually means? Why does it matter what the floor of your store looks like, if customers are going to dig through your displays anyway? What is the point of re-merchandising windows and straightening shelves at the end of every day? Does what your store looks like truly affect how much you sell?

The answer is a resounding: YES! You may not realize it, but the layout of your store has a profound psychological impact on your customer.  Cleanliness, order and well-stocked shelves can do more for your sales than advertising or merchandise selection combined.  Think about it.  Imagine your reactions to the various stores you frequent in your neighborhood.  When you’re out shopping, do you stop by the sale rack that looks like it’s been picked over and plowed through all day?  Do you reach into the dump display that’s almost empty?  Of course not!  You want to imagine that you’re getting the first pick of sale merchandise, even if you’re the last customer of the day.  You can’t help it.  We were born consumers before we became vendors, and we’re wired to react positively to appealing design.

Don’t believe me?  Try this simple little test:  Compare the two displays below.  Both contain the same merchandise.  Both have the same number of pieces.  Both have been on our showroom floor for the same amount of time.  But I’m willing to bet you a dollar store that you prefer one image over the other. 

                        

                                                           
Why? Because one looks better than the other! Now you know what your customers are thinking when they see a well-tended display versus one that has been neglected for days. People are drawn to things that look appealing, no matter what setting they’re in. The same rule I learned at that T-shirt store in high school still applies to the massive amounts of merchandise I work with today. So here’s your assignment from Kole Imports: next time you find yourself alone in your dollar store, take a look around. Are the shelves straight? Is the floor dusted? Did you change the placement of at least one item that day? Make some simple changes in your daily routine and before you know it, you will see an increase in daily traffic and sales. That’s the beauty of merchandising.

What do customers want when they are shopping at a dollar store?  And what would they buy in a dollar store, even though they didn’t know they wanted it when they walked in the door?

These are relatively simple questions, the answers to which are fairly complex, and vary depending on the location of the store.  How do you answer them?

Obviously, if you’ve been running a dollar store for a while, you know what your best-selling items are, as well as your best-selling types of items.  This is the first place to think about adding items to your inventory.  If  wrenches are selling really well, do you carry nuts and bolts?  If not, you should put some on the shelf and see how they do.   This is called adding a complementary item, and it’s a basic retail strategy which works great.

 If a 16-ounce travel coffee mug is a great seller, you should add some other styles of travel mug to your inventory.  The dollar store customer will have more choices, and if you sell out of one item, people will likely buy the style you have left, which means you didn’t miss out on the sale.  Offering a few different types of a popular item is a great way to generate consistent sales, and to compensate for sold-out items. 

Look around your dollar store for impulse items.  Do you have enough items people will want when they see them?  Are these items placed in obvious locations near the front of the store, or near related items on your shelves.  If someone doesn’t know they’re going to buy something, they need to easily find it.  It’s a simple concept.  Look around your store and see if it’s true in your situation.  A few examples of great dollar store impulse items are toys, lip balm, sunglasses, candy, iPod cases, and small tools.  I’m sure you can think of many more.  When you’re placing an order with a dollar store merchandise wholesaler, think about this when considering what new items to buy.  Do it right, and you’ll increase the average order size, and you’ll make your customers even happier. 

Get into the habit of asking yourself simple questions about how you can improve your store, and over time your sales will improve, and your customers will be happier.  You can also ask your customers what sort of things they’d like to see in your store, and pay attention when they tell you what they’d like to buy that you don’t carry.