Pushing the Envelope
How does the traditional stationery retailer compete in this era of increasing electronic sales and communication?
By Kathy Krassner -- Gifts and Dec, 5/1/2010 12:00:00 AM
It used to be that when a customer needed a greeting card or invitation, they came to your store, picked out their favorite design, bought it, left the store and mailed it. They got what they were looking for; you made the sale. Simple enough ... until recently, when increased online competition, including print-on-demand services, came into the picture.
There's no doubt that online competition has been slowly, yet steadily, eroding a portion of stationery-related sales at brick-and-mortar shops. Yet, there are plenty of things that brick-and-mortar retailers can do not only to stay in the game, but to win it.
Create an e-Commerce Site
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. In today's tech-savvy world, it's becoming increasingly important to have a great website with e-commerce capability in order to stay competitive. The Cordial Cricket, for example, brings in business both at its storefront location in Chester, VA, as well as online at www.thecordialcricket.com.
“The website definitely drives business to our store, in multiple ways,” asserts Elizabeth Howard, owner/president, who manages the store's site herself. “We have new customers who come to our store only because they found us online, and we have a large number of existing customers that use our website just to browse what the current social party invitations are that we have in stock and to show to friends and family to get their input. Then, they still actually come into the store to place their order. Our website allows folks to sign up for our e-newsletter that we send out monthly to about 2,000 people. It also points customers to our blog, testimonials, press, our Facebook page and our Twitter account. All of these things, in turn, lead customers to our store.”
Utilize Social Media
The Cordial Cricket can be found on both Facebook and Twitter — two social-networking sites that are fast becoming key promotional tools for brick-and-mortar retailers. “We mention the fact that we are on Facebook and Twitter in our e-newsletter, on our website, at the bottom of the e-mails we send, in our other marketing materials …basically every chance we get, and we ask people to follow us and to become fans,” states Howard.
She notes that the two sites draw distinctive groups. “We find that different customers use Facebook than Twitter and vice versa,” says Howard, who does her own posting. “Our Facebook fans are more of our actual in-store regular customers; our Twitter followers are some customers and more national and industry contacts, press, media, etc. We have gotten more p.r. from Twitter and more sales/new customers from Facebook. We use them both to advertise sales, to tell customers about new products, to advertise events, etc.
“I think that Facebook has helped us grow our customer base, increase sales and build closer relationships with our customers,” Howard continues. “Twitter has helped to build our brand recognition as a company nationwide, get more media/press attention and find some great new vendors and customers. We do also have special days on both of these tools where customers who are fans/followers receive an exclusive discount when shopping. That has worked, but has not been a huge driver.”
Kristen Acee Laraway, president/owner of Stationery Studio in Fairhope, AL, started a Facebook page for her store last summer. “It has been a nice boost to our local business during this really bad economic time,” says Laraway. “It's nice to have a 'free' way to get the information out; to be able to post information and get messages into the community regarding specials, new stock and sales. Plus, it's a direct target market in the sense that only people interested in our business join the group.” Laraway does the majority of posting for the site, with occasional help from her assistant.
Celebrations in Paper, located in Scottsdale, AZ, can also be found on Facebook and Twitter. “Most fans search for our pages, which seems to be the best way that we get fans,” says Rene Showalter, the store's owner. “We also have links to our fansites on our invoices and website.”
Rethink Your Merchandise Mix
To help boost sales that are being lost to the Web, Elaine Barker, owner of Paper Potpourri in Haverhill, MA, has considered adding balloons to her shop — a high-end stationery store in which customers wouldn't normally find balloons. For her bridal and baby business, however, they are a complementary category.
“Someone in the area was telling me they couldn't get balloons anywhere, so I started investigating carrying them,” says Barker. “I went to several stores to look at their balloon displays, and there were people standing in line waiting for their balloons. I haven't added them yet, but I haven't ruled out doing so.”
An easy way to add complementary products to your merchandise mix is to check out other product categories offered from greeting card and stationery resources that you may already carry. For instance, many of the same humorous designs featured on cards from Mary Phillips Designs are also available on cocktail napkins, magnetic notepads, boxed notecards and purse pads. Similarly, Anne Taintor Inc.'s hysterical retro imagery has made the leap from cards to numerous non-stationery items ranging from air fresheners and coin purses to lip balms and luggage tags.
Ask Vendors for Assistance
It's important to work with greeting card and stationery manufacturers that support — and appreciate — their brick-and-mortar clientele.
Leanin' Tree, for instance, provides direction to its retail customers on the best places in their stores to display greeting cards. “A key component of success is location, location, location!” states Patrick Wallace, marketing director. “We coach our customers to place displays in high-traffic areas to generate maximum impulse sales. Even though online sales have increased, the impulse nature of cards and the deep-seated interest that women have to peruse and shop card displays is still alive and well.”
Customized selection and personalized service are what Annabelle's Creations brings to its brick-and-mortar stationery stores, says owner Annabelle T. Stefanski. “Clients are able to choose from a selection of different paper stock, embellishments and even change colors of designs. This is difficult to do via the Web,” she says. “Brick-and-mortar stores can work with clients to show them the different customization items and work within their budget to create the perfect announcement or invitation.”
Additionally, while many manufacturers now sell directly to consumers via the Web, there are still companies that use their sites to actively promote their retailer base. Avanti Press, for example, has a “find a store” button on its website. When clicked, it brings consumers to a page where they can type in their zip code to find the closest independent retailer at which to purchase Avanti cards.
Ultimately, the best way to compete with online resources may simply lie in the value of face-to-face interaction. States Barker of Paper Potpourri: “People come here because of the customer service, my experience, my personality, my professionalism — all that is so, so important.”
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