Retail Brokers February News

Many members have enjoyed good Xmas & holiday sales. These members have had airconditioning always on, very cold drinks for sale and an inviting icecream display right where the customers trip over them.

SUPERMARKET TRICKS

Supermarkets, shopping centres, even the On the Run shops are using tactics to lull their customers into spending more money while they are in their stores.

Maybe we can adapt some of them to work for us.

Relaxation Zone – The area from the car to the inside of the shop needs to be uncluttered, clean, have signs with big lettering and then entering the shop, action, bright lights, friendly smile. Look at your shop and ask yourself ‘How can I make it better for my Customers’?

Store Layout – Milk, Bread are all away from the entrance. The customer must walk the shop passing other sales opportunities. If your milk, bread and papers are near the front door how are you slowing your customers down to encourage them to spend more?

Shop Environment – Supermarkets will ensure that there are no clocks to see and the temperature is regulated so that customers are relaxed and lose track of time.

They will introduce smells of pleasant scents such as coffee to prolong the customers stay.

How can you take advantage of these ideas?

Music - This is another weapon used to enhance your customers’ experience. Playing classic music helps to slow the shopping process down while increasing the customer spend.

Pop music and Rock n Roll will speed up the customers.

Rap music doesn’t rate at all so what music are you playing?

Lighting – They use this extensively on promotion lines. This will identify to the customer a bargain and induce the customer to buy. Softer lighting on the other hand can relax us. Should we vary our light, how hard can it be?

Eye Level – This is where they put high volume, high profit wanted lines. We should check our shop layout now, can we do it better?

Besides these areas they also look at trolley size, floor tile size and floor displays that the customer is forced to navigate around.

You don’t have trolleys then maybe you should or at the very least some baskets for customers to put things in while shopping. This will encourage your customers to buy more.

THE DISTRIBUTORS

January you had Mars @ 99 cents each and in February you have Cadbury’s & Nestle Medium Bars @ 99 cents. You can still capitalize of these products by using dump bin displays with ticketing @ 2 for $2.95.

If your shop is airconditioned there shouldn’t be any problems with chocolate melting.

BALFOURS

The Balfours promotion for February is based on their bestselling cake line, Custard Tarts.

Their reps will be visiting store with point of sale ticketing and some 'A' frame inserts.

This could be a major draw card for your food business starting from 9am all the way through the day to when kids come home from school.

The suggested sell of ‘2 for $4.90’ will give you approximately 30% gross profit.

Why not try a Coffee & Custard Tart @ $4.90!

SERVICES

Checkout the services from different companies we have listed in the newsletter.

Retail Brokers January News

WEATHER

The weather has now changed and stores should be committed to drinks , food and ice cream sales.

When was the last time you cleaned out your ice cream freezer , we have seen some freezers that have more built up ice than ice cream in them.

We have also negotiated some ice cream promotions which will be coming up on a regular basis throughout the year.

BALFOURS 

For the Jan period we have :

• Balfours Traditional Pie
• Balfours Traditional Pasty
• Balfours Giant Sausage Roll
• Balfours Footy Pie

All on promotion , reps will deliver the signage and all you have to do is sell the stock

These lines are PROVEN sales winners in ALL weather

COCA – COLA AMATIL PROMOTIONS

Stores will notice that the promotions run until the end of Feb

This will assist stores in gaining recognition from customers that they are offering value for money and specials.

Prices listed on the promotions include GST

THE DISTRIBUTORS

Contact 83412111

The Distributors are our preferred choice for confectionary suppliers

Some of the lines for January include

• Menz Fruchocs : White , Mint Chocs , Pineapple Chocs
• Malteaster Bunny
• Dairy Milk Bubbly

Do not forget the Distributors have a comprehensive range of groceries that can be delivered to your store as well.

Retail Brokers December News

CHRISTMAS TIME

Prepare your store for Christmas.

Put up some decorations , tinsel and get in the holiday spirit.

Many stores struggle for sales in Dec , so run the promotions and take notice of the trading hours over the Christmas period.

BALFOURS CHRISTMAS ALLOCATION

As with the recent allocation on bar cakes that has just concluded we have negotiated with Balfours for a Christmas allocation on Mince Pies and Christmas Muffins.

As a member of Retail Brokers this FREE stock that will be credited on your Feb Invoice

LION MILK TERMS

If you have not seen a Lion rep recently to assist you with the new terms they should not be far away.

There have been some major changes in personnel at Lion so things should be stable soon.

BALFOURS PROMOTIONS

For the Dec / Jan period we have :

• Balfours Traditional Pie
• Balfours Traditional Pasty
• Balfours Giant Sausage Roll
• Balfours Footy Pie 

All on promotion , reps will deliver the signage and all you have to do is sell the stock 

These lines are PROVEN sales winners in ALL weather 

DON’T CLOSE YOUR DOORS

We have spent a lot of the last 6 months working with some stores trying to prevent them from closing the doors and losing everything.

In some cases this has worked in others not so much.

The hardest thing sometimes is to take advice.

Scenario 1

I will stop selling Cigarettes , Confectionary and as many drinks as people come here for my food 

Result: The food was not that great , people went there for the deli lines and they closed the doors.This store was on a road with great parking ,no opposition. The owners have declared bankruptcy. Before their decision to stop selling the lines they were doing $14,000 a week , they went to $2000 a week in just 2 weeks.

Scenario 2

The owner told us “If I cut my stock down , I can buy more often and my profit will rise.”

Result : Customers notice when there is not enough stock and their sales went from $12,000 to $6000 in 3 weeks.

STATIONARY / PARTY GOODS / BATTERIES

Many stores would like to sell stationary / party goods and batteries far better than they do now.

Now The Distributors have made that possible at great prices.

Setup for your stores is available

$150 worth of bonus stock with 1st order 

Contact your rep for details on 83412111

COCA – COLA AMATIL PROMOTIONS

Promotions with Coca – Cola Amatil will run from Jan in 3 month blocks.

This will enable stores to plan and maximize sales and profit for these lines.

They will run alongside our current 6 month promotions 

This will also allow reps to come into stores and monitor whether stores are running the promotions.

The excuse of “ Promotions and specials don’t sell here “ is not an excuse as if they don’t sell then you are not losing money.

Retail Brokers November News

COCA – COLA AMATIL

Stores will note that in the promotions we have cans , 1.25lt Coke and 2 lt Coke on promotion.

We have included the GST in the promotional price 

To get the promotional price stores need to run the promotions or these prices can be altered.

Your opposition put lines out on special and so should you !!!!!

Promoting these lines means putting the tickets on the fridge.

CONTACTING RETAIL BROKERS

As we spend the majority of our time on the road talking with suppliers / stores it is far easier to contact us via email direct or through the website CONTACT US 

Or via our mobiles 

Richard 0419829145

John 0409623016

You can also ring the office on 08 83888606 – please note :We do not take faxes.

BALFOURS ALLOCATIONS

All stores would have received the paperwork for the last allocations on Balfours Bar Cakes, which will be credited to all stores on your Nov invoice.

Barcakes sell extremely well in our stores and are a sort after item that sell in some cases for over $5 IN SUPERMARKETS.

PIE & PASTY PRICING

Did you adjust the pricing of your pies and pastys and implement the price difference between Balfours and the opposition brands.

Many stores have done this and have not seen their unit sales go down , so their profit has gone up .

Remember a clean pie warmer sitting on the counter gets you sales , we recently had a member take over another store and it took him 2 weeks to clean and shine the pie warmer to a standard that enticed people to buy from the warmer.

Customers expect your pie warmer to LOOK GOOD

PFD

Take advantage of PFD's Festive Rewards Catalogue.

This is an ideal opportunity for stores to have a look at the range of products that PFD offer including a sandwich range, which would appeal to many stores.

For further details or to get a rep to your store ring PFD on 131733 

MILK PRICING 

Milk pricing in stores remains a hot topic.

Do you understand the new terms and the fact that you can get white milk into your store at $2.75 not $3.65 

Farmers Union Iced Coffee 600ml will come into your store at $2.35 not $2.55 

There will also be regular monthly promotions so you will see when Iced Coffee is on promotion it will then come in at $2.15

If you do not understand the new terms , call your Lion Rep

These savings apply if you are a GOLD customer which is based on facings in the fridge.

SAVINGS

With the newsletter you will receive details of your savings currently made on a monthly basis with:

• National Foods
• Coca – Cola Amatil
• Balfours

CONFECTIONARY

Our preferred supplier for confectionary is The Distributors who also supply groceries.

For those that use other suppliers you should split your deliveries between suppliers as one day, one of these suppliers will let you down and you will be surprised 

The Distributors also supply a great group of promotions every month with wanted novelty lines a specialty.

The Distributors are now the official suppliers of Byron Bay Cookies

WINDOWS

Windows are one of the greatest customer drawcards that you can have and we cannot impress upon you how much difference a clean and clean surrounds of your store makes.

• The days of old advertising signage being stuck around entrances has long gone.
• The days of posters stuck on windows advertising the local jumble sale has long gone 
• Put up a signage board next to your store or in your store 
• Use this to let local businesses that come into your store advertise 
• Also clean your windows or get them cleaned 

Blacked out windows are not good for security in stores – nice clean windows and lights on allow people passing by to see into the store.

Retail Brokers September News

BALFOURS PROMOTIONS

All Balfours Premium Pie Range and Donuts are on SPECIAL until the 31st Oct , details are on the promotion page but WE EXPECT ALL STORES TO SUPPORT THESE PROMOTIONS as they will generate sales and profit 

BALFOURS BREAD

Balfours bread currently gets into stores at $2.31 with your discount of 49c a loaf 

Stores are having great sales promoting and selling it at the $2.95 - $3.00 price point 

This is a sales generator for stores 

LION MILK PRICE RISE

Milk is going up on the 2nd Sept 

If you are billed by your milk vendor you will pay in some cases MORE for your milk.

We have seen vendors charge up to 20c more for flavoured 600ml milk 

Stores that are on account with Lion will pay the correct wholesale price that is why you go on account.

LION MILK TERMS

Lion representatives will be coming to all stores to explain the new milk terms that they are offering based not on volume but on facings.

They will need your time to explain the terms which cannot be done quickly 

They will demonstrate the savings that can be made.

THE DISTRIBUTORS

The Distributors are the preferred suppliers for confectionary for the group and they do have an extensive range of groceries.

Their pricing and service are excellent , and that is before the discount as part of the group

If you have not seen a rep from them or need to place an order ring them on 83412111

INSURANCE

Doug Napier Insurance have changed their name and expanded into

Protectit Insurance Services

Address :Suite 1/23 Greenhill Rd 

Phone: 08 8372 7100                                             

Fax: 08 8272 6014                         

Email: insure@protectitis.com.au  

Doug has SAVED members on their insurance policies so give him a call 

SIGNAGE AND WINDOWS

If you are going to put signage up in your store make sure you spell things correctly 

Recently we had a member put “ You’re Choice For Fillings “ sign above their sandwich bar 

Spelling and grammar counts