Friday 30 November 2012

Busy on a Friday

10 comments:

Budgie said...

The oldies are the goodies.

Electro-Kevin said...

All days are the same to me. There is no such thing as a week-end.

Bill Quango MP said...

This is my busy time . This is actually the worst time as there is still a lot of fretting. In two weeks time it's too late to change any plans and everyone just goes with what's been agreed and makes do if It goes wrong.
It's actually very therapeutic. A calmness comes on. The decisions have been made and now they jut have yo play out.

So far, not too bad. All the dancing Xmas trees have sold already. Thy were a risk novelty at £15 a pop. Must resist he temptation to buy more. Diaries look overstocked in the big expensive category, which is the worst one to have got wrong. Toys are over stocked so far but selling better than 2011. Especially that fake, I mean alternative, Lego.
And nearly All the trendy M&S' John Lewis style expensive Xmas lines have gone.
Next year we shall really take a punt on that.

No wallets this year. Couldn't get hm at a low enough price. Sold hundreds last year. Hats and gloves and oats have been a disaster too. But it's not really cold enough. I saw Republics window and they have better hats and coats and cheaper. I can feel a December sale comin on as soon as he first cold snap bites.

Ho hum..back to work...

Kawn Flake said...

You didn't get your oats away? Shame.

andrew said...


When did anyone here last buy a diary for themselves -or anyone else?

I did in ~2005
I have android, oh uses apple, stepdaughter uses back of hand.

Parents do buy a big a4 one every year.

I think they will go the way of printed music collections - still out there but not found in WHS.

measured said...

I rely on John Lewis for having done the relevant market research and for stocking quality items. I don't mind paying up for this to be honest. However, I was shocked to see single nylon knickers at their checkouts marked up at £5 each and downstairs scrubbers (the pots and pans kind) at the till at £10 each. What a rip. Even Waterstones have diversified into this market and yet it does not seem competitive enough.

I'd love to find a decent meerkat gimmick that isn't a stuffed cuddly toy. Simples.

I bought a singing Santa hat at Macro. I am going to get it out after the sherry on Christmas Day. Be warned.

Bill Quango MP said...

Andrew.

We sold all the slim and pocket diaries by October. And we even had about 10% more than last year. All the A5 and A6 slims gone.
All the fashion diaries went instantly. Couldn't get enough Letts pastels.{genuinely..couldn't get enough..back orders never came..probably sold dearer to someone else.}

BQ made a mistake as the very limited stocks of A4 week to view and day a page had 1/2 sold by mid october. So I bought another double hit, as the small diaries were going so well.
And they have barely moved since.An observatory in Northern Norway took 10, at a horrific postage cost to themselves, but that was about it.

Who has a diary?..lots of people do.
Change is slow. but each year i take 20% off last years diary sales,expecting a drop, before fiddling the figures back up again.

Carbon paper has now become so scarce in the high street its a viable internet line. As is tippex. Found a pallet of the stuff and put it online and sold it around the world within the month. For the week it was our best selling line. CARBON PAPER!?

{Then again, when its old stock its a cost price well below its real cost price as it was probably bought in 1995 at 13p a pack. When 13p was 30p. the margins are great. Can't get it cheap enough anymore. - }

Measured has a santa hat? Good for you.
musical snow blowers finally going £9.99 for a spinning, jingle bells playing, light up 8inch globe. Its ghastly. {half sold..half left. Thats ok. Should all go now its December..
For some reason the quite nice, well priced, candle holder table decorations have not moved. either they are cheaper elsewhere or candles are not in fashion.

Best selling line so far. -
holographic gift labels
pyramid advent calenders
fabric advent calenders
jingle bells trees
glitter gift tags and bags {these were nice..}
torches
pastel and 'girly' diaries.

- Most of those are BQ buying lines..extra bonus for me i think.
as long as we can shift all theses big diaries and larger gift bags and 'charity' boxes of cards - no one likes them.

Nick Drew said...

a decent meerkat gimmick

we have *ahem* a very nice family of garden-gnome meerkats in durable resin

(I use the word 'we' very loosely and loyally because if it was up to me ...)

Budgie said...

Christmas novelties? Bah! My kids are getting half an apple each.

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