Archive for the ‘Advice’ Category
Wednesday, March 30th, 2011
There is no doubt Retailers face significant challenges these days. Visiting many of them across the country one hears their concerns, which are certainly diverse. When one analyses how these Retailers encounter their challenges it seemsthere is a dividing line between two camps: those shops forging forward and those that are not. So, what makes the ones going forward successful?
- Location – Yes, this is one of the ‘oldies’ in retailing and it continues to be true. Location equates to footfall and those outlets in the ‘right’ location will live through a downturn whereas those in secondary or tertiary locations will sorely feel the lower footfall
- Added Services – Offering the right products at the right price is no longer good enough. If I got one penny for the times I have heard the phrase ‘we look for something that is different’ I’d be a millionaire. The fact is there is ‘nothing new under the sun’. Unless we talk about Technology, the Gift and Jewellery industries are saturated with products which cover every single angle of the market and rather than something new it should be a new way of marketing their current products. Many of the successful retailers have been offering a service related to the products they sell as a way of differentiating themselves, and they are banking on that.
- Product Cohesion – Ideally there should be a ‘theme’ running across the retail outlet and the products should ‘build’ on this theme. To make the point it is rare to see a successful independent retailer that sells jewellery alongside kitchen utensils. For customers it is much easier to focus on a shop if subliminally know what the shop sells. This also applies to price points. There is a misguided belief that one must have ‘something for everyone’. We have not seen much evidence this route leads to success.
There are a number of other ‘learnings’ which may prove of use and we will be publishing them in this Blog overtime……keep tuned in.
Posted in Advice | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009
At Marjo we are getting a little bored of the doomsayers in the media constantly reporting that the world as we know it is over because of the credit crunch. So we have decided to bring a little ray of light to the party by giving you some good news and advice concerning what we believe you should do to prepare for the inevitable up turn in the economy.
Light at the end of the tunnel
Retailers have always stood up to previous recessions and the best have later prospered in the end, so what can we learn from them?
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Tags: newletters, News
Posted in Advice | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
ASDA initiative increases sales of reusable bags by 1200 %
ASDA has announced the roll out of a successful trial to remove single use carrier bags from checkouts across its 355 stores. This initiative could help retailers across the country reduce the environmental impact of plastic bags by 25% by the end of this year.
Many of Marjo’s wholesale jewellery customers in jewellery, and gift retailing businesses could consider the reusable bags as a way of not only saving the environment, but also as a good source of marketing. Consumers purchasing a re-usable bag will surely use it for longer periods of time, and in a best case scenario be seen by friends, family, and work colleagues. Giving the opportunity for them to discuss your store and products.
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Tags: Advice, News
Posted in Advice, News | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
Iconic retailer Ikea avoids paying the highest wages in the industry instead preferring to attract people who are more motivated by working for a company with a strong identity and culture.
Speaking at the recent BRC Annual Conference in London Anders Dahlvig, chief executive of Ikea, suggested: “Paying the highest as a strategy is a dangerous path to go on as you only get people who are motivated by money and they will leave when they get a better offer.”
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Tags: News, Staff
Posted in Advice, News | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
Recently I have noticed a number of our customers, and indeed many other retailers across the UK and Ireland currently have or are looking to develop a jewellery retail website. It maybe an additional sales channel for existing bricks & mortar businesses or as a first foray into the retail world for start ups’.
With more and more people gaining access to the internet and feeling secure shopping online, there is a growing trend for consumers to shop online.
We have been running the marjo wholesale jewellery website for around 5 years now, and it has taken alot of time, energy and money to get it where it is today. This is relative to the design, structure, and marketing of the website so we have alot of experience to pass on. So here we go…
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Tags: Advice, Websites
Posted in Advice | 2 Comments »
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