The retail market has changed so much in the last few years unfortunately for some retail store owners it is for the worse.
We see more and more local retailers closing their doors. You see the closures. You recognize that there are closures. You see the empty store fronts but do you know the stores that are gone? Can you remember their names? Do you know what their product lines were? Had you ever gone into those stores?
Now ask yourself, why? Why didn't you know more about their business, their products or why hadn't you gone into their store?
The most common answer is the image of the store, their advertisements and their window displays weren't eye catching or memorable. Any why not? Because that Store Owner didn't take the time to brand their name or their image. To survive in this down market a store must become its own brand and sell that brand. Creating a strong presence in a customers mind will help keep that business viable.
A strong branding should give the perception that the store has a unique atmosphere, unique products, friendly and helpful employees and competitive prices and those aspects of the branding should be used in all types of advertising including in store signage. That branding should be part of the store's interior/atmosphere. That atmosphere should be comfortable for your customers and promote shopping. Competition is too strong to be just like the other stores. Branding should promote your unique products especially those that competitors do not have. Competitive pricing should also be part of your branding. Selling unique products at competitive pricing will surely guarantee a strong brand. Unique products and competitive pricing will make your store a destination for consumers. Your employees personalities, willingness to assist a customer, and appearance should all portray your branding also. A retail store's marketing budget as limited as it might be should work to create and enforce all aspects of that branding.
Don't do what your competitor is doing. Be different. Sell unique products, select unique coloring for your logo and store coloring and create a unique atmosphere.
So how does this all relate to retail packaging you ask? Well, you should develop coordinated packaging using your logo and store colors. You can develop a unique shaped shopping bag, multi-colored shopping bag or use a unique material for construction of the shopping bag or just a unique color combination of a stock paper bag. You can develop a unique gift wrapping look using a colored gift wrap that matches your colors along with imprinted ribbon. You should always imprint your store name or logo on your gift boxes and shopping bags. You could also custom imprint your tissue and ribbons. Your packaging is part of your branding. Use your packaging to advertise your business. Your store name, store colors and store packaging should become recognizable to everyone. Why use the same retail packaging as your competitors? Make sure its different then anyone in town. If the unique product you sell leaves your store in a plain white bag with no identification and is presented as a gift then you have created absolutely no branding image to the recipient of that gift. A huge mistake when trying to create a strong branding for your name and store. Probably one of the mistakes those stores around that are now closed made. Don't make the same mistake. Its not to late. Think about it today.
So do you think branding is local or national only. Both. Any local store should create a strong branding also. Local store owners depend the most on the residents of their community so why shouldn't those residents know everything about your store by sight. Know your customer base. Find out what drives the residents of your community and use that as a basis of your branding and include it in all of your advertising. Your branding should meet your customers expectations. Doing this keeps them as a happy customer. National chains doing everyday. The national chains confer with their customers often obtaining information vital to their continued success.
The best branding I can think of is by a local grocery store business. They have a logo and color scheme they use on all print advertising, on their web site, store sign and through out the interior of the store and on store packaging. They also confer with customers to find out improvements that are needed. They make a point of providing excellent customer service, in store special events like decorate a cake for mom, shoppers card drawings for special gifts almost monthly, accumulative discount promotions a few times a year, in-store tasting on most friday nights, children's halloween party, diaper derbies and so much more I can't even think of it. The best thing they do as a business is they give back to the community through donations to many organizations. As a customer, we decide where we want them to give the donations to. We give our receipts to the organization of our choice, ie libraries, schools, charities, etc., and they present them back to the grocery store for the donation. They have helped so many with this its enlightning. I support this business because they make it easy to shop there and enjoyable. I appreciate their many efforts in running a succesful business which includes their strong branding. Nice Job Guys.
Find someone in your area that runs their business with a lot of succes and model their business. Don't copy but a lot can be learned from someone else's success.
As a sales representative, I enjoy helping a customer create match packaging that is unique and within their budget. Your packaging program can take your name and stores brand to new levels.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Store Branding: Local or National
Sunday, April 27, 2008
"Green Ribbon" Option
Cream City's 100% cotton curling ribbon is made in the USA of 100% natural and biodegradable cotton yarns, water soluble glues, and soy based inks. It's look is very unique.
It appears to be paper but its not. It is very stiff to the touch. It curls like traditional splendorette curling ribbon and it also shreds and strips very easily. You can fold and crease this ribbon and it holds the shape. You can even weave this ribbon. All these features and attributes make cotton curling ribbon a great option for a green ribbon to finish off your green retail packaging.
It comes in a variety of solid colors, variant stripe and dot combinations and can be custom imprinted with your logo. The cost of this product is reasonable but varies greatly between retail packaging distributors. So look for the best deal.
This ribbon is being used in the retail, floral, gift basket and craft markets, by manuf
acturers and even in event planning and wedding decorating.
This excerpt was taken from the Gift Box Corporation's website --- Is it cotton curling ribbon too?
"Eco-friendly ribbon will soon be available in 100% organic cotton and a blend of cotton and hemp. This product will be available plain or custom printed."
I can't wait to see what new ribbon products Gift Box Corporation is introducing this year. The have something new up their green sleeves. Once the new catalog is out, I will update the blog with more information on Gift Box Corporations product description and image.
There are other natural 100% cotton ribbon products in taffeta, herringbone or basket weave design. These types of ribbons are much more costly then cotton curling ribbon. They are soft to the touch and do not retain their shape when tied into a large bow. A simple bow or knot works well when using this ribbon complementing your retail packaging.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Talk of the Nation - 2007
Follow the link above and listen to Talk of the Nation - Eco-Chic - HOw Green is "Green"? - July, 2007 on NPR.
Very interesting.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Earth Day
Happy Earth Day!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Press Release - Let everyone know with help of some good print
Source out all local newspapers, print publications and related websites that pretain to your business industry.
A press release is written in third person (no I or We, please) and seeks to demonstrate to an editor or reporter the newsworthiness and importance of a particular person, event, service or product (green packaging and the benefit to the community). Include a picture.
Include in your press release everything that is important to your business and the event that you want your community to know about. Dates, times and product description and contact information along with store hours. Coordinate a grand introduction of your green packaging by offering a sale on a particular weekend with a special event. Find a green business in your area and have them do an in store demonstration. You both will benefit. Also make sure to include that information in your press release and also to ask for it to be included in the calendar or send out a second press release!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Price verses Quality
What I mean is:
As a sales representative I work with my customers to reduce their actual invoice total in turn reducing the actual product cost.
See the company that I work for as a sales representative, Gift Box Corporation, offers our customers quantity discounting and annual usage discounting.
For my customers that place bag orders in the first quarter of the year for the entire year, they get 15% off for the first quarter special and then we add up the total number of bags and give them a quantity discount based on annual usage on top of it. We can ship multiple times through out the remainder of the year providing the customer with bags when they need them instead of overwhelming them with inventory with one large order. To save the customer even more money we offer a half off frieght allowance on all orders of $350.00 or more.
Does your packaging distributor offer those deals?
Take another look at the bottom line.
Some times it pays to work directly with your packaging rep and ask for specials and cost cutting measures. I also suggest having a competitor of your current packaging company provide you with a quote on all packaging products. Give that second packaging rep the quantities for the packaging products used in the previous year along with exact descriptions of your products, color, shape and materials or supply them with actual samples of your products. You do not have to tell them the dollar amounts, a good rep will not need that information. Have that second packaging rep provide you with the costs for reordering based on annual usage and company discounts.
As an example, a potential new customer that I am currently working with purchases paper bags, gift boxes and tissue from a competitor. When asked for pricing on shopping bags, I provided them with first column pricing. They stated that I was way over priced. My first response was how many bags do you order a year? Thousands was her answer. So now I re-adjusted my numbers based on her annual usage. I also provided her with information concerning the discounts available to her in the coming year. When all said and done my cost was less. I didn't provide her with any extra discounts only the ones she earned. I don't play games when it comes to pricing. So many sales reps/manufacturers will reduce the cost of the first order to secure the new business then up the cost on future orders. I will not. I want my customer to get the actual pricing due to them so they don't have sticker shock in the future. I am also suppling this customer a quote for custom shopping bags. A full years worth of inventory but I am hoping to drop her cost per bag even futher.
Will I get the business? Maybe not because her current sales rep/packaging provider might meet my pricing or even beat it to keep the business. As much as I want the order thats OK. I know that customer is getting the pricing they deserve and that sales representative/manufacturer is being kept honest. And this is why I suggest you should occasionally work with your packaging provider's competitor for pricing at least every few years.
Who is going to hurt? No one especially not you because you will know you are getting the best price available to you.
So the last few blogs have been about "green" packaging and you ask what does this have to do with any thing green - well I have two answers. One, you will have more green in your pocket!
and two, Gift Box Corporation maintains stock products that are made from recycled products, products that are recyclable and products that are re-usable. Check them all out at http://www.800giftbox.com/.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Whole Food Markets goes greener
The Whole Foods Market chain stated back in February that it would stop offering plastic grocery bags. Giving customers a choice between recycled paper or reusable bags, no more plastic. A increasing number of retailers and local municupalities are banning plastic bags, or discouraging their use, because of concerns about their environmental impact. Nantucket, MA banned plastic bags years ago. Whole Foods officials said they had hoped to eliminate plastic bags for some time but had to decide how to make it work in the chain's 270 stores. A.C. Gallo, president and chief operating officer, said Whole Foods tried to get customers to buy reusable bags for several years but "it really never caught on." That changed when the grocery chain began offering reusable bags for 99 cents, he said.
More Retailers, small and big, should start promoting their choice for retail packaging. Informing their customers of their choice might inspire that customer to become greenier or support your greenier company. It might comething as simple a a chan
I heard a rumor that might be true, you will have to look into it, that whole foods is giving away a free re-usable shopping bag away to customers on Earth Day. It might only be a rumor because I see nothing listed on the web-site concerning this. So research it first and don't hold me to it.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Green Press Release
How about your local newspaper? Are they focused on local eco-friendly businesses? Trade magazines and newspapers in the retail packaging industry are all concentrating on "Green" businesses. The local newspapers have been highlighting local manufacturers, growers and businesses trying to be enviromentally friendlier.
So how about the retailers? Don't you think if you have a custom paper or plastic shopping bag made from recycled and biodegradable materials with your name on it, use giftboxes made from 100% post consumer waste, and recycled kraft tissue that might be news worthy?
So retailers go ahead and try it. Have the packaging made and then write a press release to every newspaper within a 50 mile radius of your location, tourist publications and community websites and tell them. You will be surprised how interested an editor will be of the simplest local interest story and you will be more surprised in how many locales will respond to a news paper article.
If new packaging isn't in your budget then offer a discount to those customers bringing in their own shopping bags to take away their purchases. Tell that to the editor. I know I would come visit and make a purcase for a discount. A local grocer gave five cents back for every plastic bag I re-used on every purchase. I know I used 10 bags with most of purchases and that wasn't a huge savings but I thought it was a great attempt by the grocer.
Of course if you are in a "green" community and everyone is already doing it then it might not work. Well then you send out a press release stating you finally joined the "green" movement and some locales might visit your store because you finally came around to their way of thinking.
Green Packaging Company
At Gift Box, we take pride in our company's long history of being "green." In fact, we are the original "green" packaging company. Many of our products are manufactured with environmentally-friendly materials, using combinations of post-consumer and post-industrial waste.
The board we use to manufacture our gift boxes, and the newsprint we laminate to the inside, are both 100% post-consumer recycled paper. The paper we laminate to the outside of our boxes contains post-industrial paper waste. The glue we use to adhere these two laminates to the board is natural cornstarch glue that we cook ourselves. All of our inks are water-based and can be disposed of easily and safely. These boxes are 100% recyclable and the recycled emblem is debossed on each one.
Our regular paper shopping bags, merchandise bags and eurotote bags are all recyclable or reusable, and we also offer paper shopping bags made from 80% post-industrial waste and 100% post-consumer waste. Our "green" paper packaging is made from either post-consumer or post-industrial waste, benefitting the environment.
All of our plastic bags are environmentally friendly as they can be recycled. Gift Box also offers bags containing 25% post-consumer waste which helps the environment by saving the resources required to manufacture more plastic and eliminating landfill mass at the same time. We also offer two degradable bags, one which breaks down from extended exposure to UV sunlight and the other is biodegradable and decomposes through the actions of natural soil borne microbes.
The white and kraft tissue we sell contains 60% post-industrial waste and it is recyclable as well. Future plans include changing the mix to 50% post-industrial waste and 10% post-consumer waste.
Eco-friendly ribbon will soon be available in 100% organic cotton and a blend of cotton and hemp. This product will be available plain or custom printed.
For more information on packaging that's good for the environment, e-mail customer.service@800giftbox.com or call 1-800-GIFTBOX.
If you're looking for "green" packaging, you're looking for Gift Box. "Green" leadership for over 70 years and counting.
I am a proud sales representative for Gift Box Corporation and have to say it's easy selling the best gift boxes in the nation especially when they are already green.
Green Products - Plastic Bag insight
takes to get their groceries from the grocer to their homes. These bags, however, can last for hundreds of years if not recycled. Combine the growing number of plastic bags used every year with the time it takes for them to break down and you have a major environmental problem.Whether it's inadvertent or deliberate, plastic bag litter creates many problems. Bags get blown accross country sides and city scapes and deposited in unsightly locations - trees, along beaches, in heaps on the road ways. They end up blocking drains and suffocating wildlife when eaten. In the lakes, ponds and oceans, plastic bag litter is lethal, killing thousands of whales, turtles and other sea life every year.
A new answer is available for the retailer who uses plastic bags in their store locations. Recycleable and biodegradable plastic bags made from recycled materials. All customizable and available for immediate manufacturing. There are US manufacturers who are making this bags available to retailers at the same cost as a traditional plastic bag. Up to this point, biodegradable plastic was out of most peoples financial reach because of the higher cost but not anymore.
All plastic bag using retailers should look into the cost of this possibility. Even ask your packaging distributor if your current imprint plates are usable. If they can use your plates then there might be no additional expense for you - so you can keep the green you earn in your packet while you point your business in a greener direction. You and your customer will be happier.
Green Products - Re-usable Shopping bags
There are some stylish reusable bags by Pretty Green Bag . These bags are beautiful and can easily be used for shopping at the grocers or the mall, shopping at Walmart or Target and used for going to the library. The Pretty Green bags are made from designer print fabric and have a cushiony handle and have a water repellent lining so you will never have soggy bags again. The bags come in sizes 11 x 14 x 6. Pretty Green Bag is committed to social responsibility. 1% of all sales are given to Water Partners International that works with developing countries to provide clean water resources. These bags have a higher wholesale price per bag then your everyday run of the mill non woven polypropylene bags.
Low End Re-usable Shopping Bags
Re-usable bags, like the 'Green Bags' seen in supermarkets, are made from non-wove
n polypropylene that is manufactured from polypropylene gas, a by-product of oil refining. Polypropylene bags can carry more shopping than plastic check-out bags. These bags are sturdy and designed to be reused again and again for many years. When the consumer is finished with the bag, they can be recycled - drop them into the plastic bag recycling bins.
Polypropylene bags reduce consumption of single use standard plastic shopping bags and encourage customers to be more ‘waste-wise’ in their daily life. Domestic manufactured non woven poly bags can be custom imprinted with your logo on it for a low minimum usually just 300 pieces of course they will have a higher piece price then an overseas made bag. However custom sized bags with multi-colored designs can be manufactured overseas with a higher minimum but a lower piece price.
Your standard packaging supplier can provide accurate quotes for the non-woven polypropylene bags. Call today for a quote. Generally a 10 to 12 week delivery is need for larger bag orders.
So many gift shop owners are purchasing these bags and having their own logos discreetly printed on the bags along with a tastefully done graphic and then selling them to their regular customers. Most consumers are accepting of this re-usable shopping bag concept but they are not accepting of paying $1.00 a bag at the big box grocer with the store names plastered on the side. I think those big box grocers should be paying use to advertise their stores and for saving them all the money on not having to order as many of the junkie plastic bags.
Green Products - TerraSkin
With the "green movement" being so strong right now and rightfully so, I want to start a segment of blogs on green products and their availability. I am going to start with an item I have heard alot about but haven't gotten to see it or hear directly from a user of it.
TerraSkin™ made by Design & Source Productions in New York has eco-friendly characteristics and is made from a combination of large amounts of mineral powder and with a small quantity of non-toxic resin to create an environmentally friendly paper.
TerraSkin has very similar characteristics to traditional paper.
TerraSkin also has many eco-friendly characteristics. First, the production of TerraSkin requires no water, so the TerraSkin paper making process incurs no water pollutants. Second, as TerraSkin contains high proportions of inorganic mineral powder, when the end user is done with the TerraSkin product, the used paper will biodegrade when left out in nature for approximately 3 to 9 months turning back into the mineral powder. If preferred, used TerraSkin papers can also be burnt safely as non-toxic resins will not emit smoke or any poisonous gas. TerraSkin can easily and cost-effectively be recycled in the future. The future production of TerraSkin, residues of inorganic mineral powder can be either reused or safely returned to nature.
Most importantly, in producing TerraSkin, there are no trees involved. The paper is treeless.
TerraSkin has printing benefits as well. With all environmentally friendly advantages the TerraSkin paper has it also has significant printing flexibility. Because TerraSkin does not absorb ink like regular paper, using less ink than traditional paper. The imprints stay much more crisp and clear on TerraSkin paper than on traditional paper because the ink does not bleed and is not absorbed by the TerraSkin paper. TerraSkin also does not require any additional coatings or laminations. The paper is water-resistant and stays strong and durable and it has its own unique texture based on its mineral make up.
I am looking to hear from users of this product. I would like to know everything about it - cost, minimum quantity for ordering, does the manufacturer stock it or is it custom, quality, durability and consumer acceptance. I understand that a Modern Art Museum has changed all their bags over to this product.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Do you use retail packaging?
Do you use?
Shopping Bags - paper or plastic
Stock, Imprinted/Hot Stamped or Custom
Merchandise Bags - paper or plastic
Gift Boxes - with or without your logo on it
One piece, two piece, short lid/hat box styles
Jewelry Boxes - white or colored
Tissue Paper - stock or custom
Ribbons and Bows - Stock ribbon or custom ribbon
Labels - Custom or stock price labels
Price Tags - Custom or stock price tags
Where do you purchase it from/at?
From Local Sales Representative
Mail Order Customer Service Technician
Local Paper Supply Company
Local warehouse/store
Are you happy with your total packaging?
Yes
No
Don't Care
Is Your Customer happy with your packaging?
Yes
No
Don't Care
Or do you not use packaging because you are afraid it is too costly?
yes, I am afraid
Send me a comment providing the answers to these questions along with any other information you would like to provide concerning your packaging, packaging provider, packaging experiences and of course include your business type, your position within that business and any other business information (number of years in business, location, etc.....)
Introduction to JR Labels
www.jrlabels.com, offers a complete and diverse line of custom decals, labels,magnets, stickers and tags.
Since I do not represent any one label printer/manufacturer, the products I offer are competitively priced. I am therefore able to offer to my customers a wide range of hot stamped and ink imprinted (including 4 color process) labels and tags and often without a set up charge. I offer standard hot stamped labels, embossed labels, pricing labels and hot stamped tags, bumper stickers, magnets, business cards and much more. I aso offer digital imprinted labels and tags which allows the customer the opportunity to create exactly what they want.
My commitment to customer service led me to develop
the Design your own label web page. Many customers asked for this feature and after considerable development it is available for you to use at JRLabels.com. This is one of my ways of satisfying my valued customers. I am in the process of updating the website to include the newest section - Label of the Month - which will feature some the hottest labels created through JR Labels for customers.I have many happy customers because I am able to offer most new label orders with no set up charges on hot stamped orders, prepayment discounts and free freight when possible.
Selling labels gives me the opportunity to assist customers creatively. Sometimes labels are used to customize stock p
ackaging products by the little mom and pop shops but are also used by the manufacturer to finalize their product appearance or packaging. With our low minimums and great quantity discounts we are able to offer labels to all types of label users in a variety of quantities and styles.I hope you will take the time to visit http://www.jrlabels.com/. Should you have any questions or need assistance in creating your label or tag do not hesitate to call 401-683-5273.
The start of a great blog dedicated to packaging!
This blog will consist of my thoughts and experiences while working in the retail packaging industry. I hope to highlight the trends in the retail packaging, offer links and information pertaining to products and manufacturers creating and offering new products or just great opportunities in packaging. I look foward to your feedback to fuel this blog with topics that are of interest.
This blog is for anyone that uses, will be using in the future, or selling retail packaging include:
shopping bags - paper or plastic,
gift boxes - one and two piece,
jewelry boxes,
tissue paper,
gift wrap,
ribbon and bows,
labels,
tags,
anything else to do with packaging products
for resale or for during product developement/manufacturing.
This blog will be a great source of options for those using custom packaging and looking for alternatives and quoting opportunities.
You can be from any type of business:
retail stores including gift shops, floral shops, gift basket business, grocery stores, clothing stores, shoe shores, music shops, pottery shops, furniture stores, any type of store that needs to packaging their products for their customer.
Corporate business that give VIP presentations.
Non-Profit Organizations including museums, art galleries, historial societies or any non-profit trying to stay within their budgets and still provide appealing packaging.
Entertaining Industry Members/Organizations including bands, orchestras, theater groups, solo artists and music teachers.
School Organizations such as PTA/PTO's, Sports groups, School Bands, Fundraiser groups -- FAB, Booster Clubs, Class Advisory Groups, anyone trying to raise money for future student groups.
Manufacturers of food, clothing, gift products, anyone packaging their product for re-sale.
Sales Representatives for packaging distributors and manufacturers.
The list is endless of people who will benefit from this blog. As time goes on, I will continue to add to this endless list.
I encourage success stories and stories of failure as part of the feedback I receive from my readers. Tell me why something was a failure not necessarily who the failure was.
