Sales Really Bad
Maria
internet retail bubble.
Not digging for sympathy - I'm used to living on Income Support anyway!
Sort of looking forward to it in a way - exhausted at the moment. Need
to do a lot of DIY anyway.
Just posting for information...just that nobody is reporting on
Ecommerce sales - only High Street.
Anyone else online selling? How are you doing? My own sector is now
saturated...it's just so easy to build an online store and sell wee
things you can keep in a drawer. I wish I had some imagination...
abelard
a major error of less able or less resourced business is to
cut advertising in times of difficulty.....
advertising is being widely cut back
regards
--
web site at www.abelard.org - news comment service, logic, economics
energy, education, politics, etc 1,552,396 document calls in year past
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
all that is necessary for [] walk quietly and carry
the triumph of evil is that [] a big stick.
good people do nothing [] trust actions not words
only when it's funny -- roger rabbit
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maria
> On Sun, 23 Nov 2008 01:32:28 +0000, Maria <oldw...@shoe.com> wrote:
>
>> Down ~50% on usual figures, even with cut prices. So much for the
>> internet retail bubble.
>> Not digging for sympathy - I'm used to living on Income Support anyway!
>> Sort of looking forward to it in a way - exhausted at the moment. Need
>> to do a lot of DIY anyway.
>> Just posting for information...just that nobody is reporting on
>> Ecommerce sales - only High Street.
>> Anyone else online selling? How are you doing? My own sector is now
>> saturated...it's just so easy to build an online store and sell wee
>> things you can keep in a drawer. I wish I had some imagination...
>
> a major error of less able or less resourced business is to
> cut advertising in times of difficulty.....
> advertising is being widely cut back
>
I don't usually need any! I've just switched Adwords back on - lots of
clickthroughs - few sales. People are looking, but not buying (something
else that has been reported on the high street...)
abelard
indeed...bright lights....
watching the show even if not participating
DVH
"Maria" <oldw...@shoe.com> wrote in message
news:n-qdncnQ154uL7XU...@bt.com...
> Down ~50% on usual figures, even with cut prices. So much for the internet
> retail bubble.
> Not digging for sympathy - I'm used to living on Income Support anyway!
> Sort of looking forward to it in a way - exhausted at the moment. Need to
> do a lot of DIY anyway.
> Just posting for information...just that nobody is reporting on Ecommerce
> sales - only High Street.
> Anyone else online selling? How are you doing?
Not e-commerce, but most of our clients depend on having lots of online
activity.
It's manageable, meaning we're not thinking of expanding but we are getting
the same amount of work as before.
Meanwhile, clients are saying such and such a project is "on hold for two
weeks". I would normally have considered them done deals, but my confidence
most of these will turn into orders is now under 50%.
Half our business comes from the EU. I send them the ammunition they need to
justify spending (particularly euro to sterling exchange rate charts!), but
they're big businesses and they get blanket budget freezes ordered from on
high, making it hard for them to push ahead with their own stuff.
> My own sector is now saturated...it's just so easy to build an online
> store and sell wee things you can keep in a drawer. I wish I had some
> imagination...
What is your USP? Looking at your site, you seem to be emphasising the
savings compared to high street shops...
Maria
Thanks for the info.
> What is your USP?
It used to be things you couldn't get elsewhere, unique items. Other
people are similarly resourceful and are doing the same things now, so
it's no longer a USP. The other thing I learned the hard way, was that
unusual is unusual for a good commercial reason...
>Looking at your site, you seem to be emphasising the
> savings compared to high street shops...
>
I'm trying to clear my stockholding and reduce my business overdraft - I
don't want to end up with my home repossessed because NatWest cancels my
OD facility...
Besides that, I'm not sure what people are looking for anymore. The Town
Centre is full of people who only seem to be spending money in
Poundland. It's hard to find wholesalers in this country that aren't
selling the same tat that you find in 5 stores in every town...
I'm sharing my physical shop space with a tatooist and a goldsmith -
they are doing well still. Oh how I wish I was any good with my
hands...who says being an artist (a genuine one) is a waste of time?
People, even those on the dole, seem to find the cash for a tattoo, or a
truly unique piece of custom made jewellery.
Mel Rowing
P'raps folks are battening down for the storm ahead.
Credit junkies are surely by now experiencing some cold turkey.
Non credit junkies are frightened of the redundancy notice that might
appear with their pay packet any time soon.
It's not the time for frivolous spending.
I was in M & S Thursday. 3 for price of 2 offers running in tandem
with 20% off I make that ~53% off.
I was in Clark's own discounted shoe shop Friday. 50% of most already
discounted price (pair of shoes already being discounted at £39.99
now £19.99.)
Christmas rapidly coming up and already stocks are obviously being
cleared. Are they going to be replaced one asks? In the short to
medium term, frankly I doubt it.
Maria
> On Nov 23, 1:32 am, Maria <oldwo...@shoe.com> wrote:
>> Down ~50% on usual figures, even with cut prices. So much for the
>> internet retail bubble.
>> Not digging for sympathy - I'm used to living on Income Support anyway!
>> Sort of looking forward to it in a way - exhausted at the moment. Need
>> to do a lot of DIY anyway.
>> Just posting for information...just that nobody is reporting on
>> Ecommerce sales - only High Street.
>> Anyone else online selling? How are you doing? My own sector is now
>> saturated...it's just so easy to build an online store and sell wee
>> things you can keep in a drawer. I wish I had some imagination...
>
> P'raps folks are battening down for the storm ahead.
We have been for some time!
>
> Credit junkies are surely by now experiencing some cold turkey.
>
> Non credit junkies are frightened of the redundancy notice that might
> appear with their pay packet any time soon.
Even my husband is threatened with it - when the stores go, the cleaner
has to go also.
> It's not the time for frivolous spending.
>
> I was in M & S Thursday. 3 for price of 2 offers running in tandem
> with 20% off I make that ~53% off.
>
> I was in Clark's own discounted shoe shop Friday. 50% of most already
> discounted price (pair of shoes already being discounted at £39.99
> now £19.99.)
It is worrying me more and more that the early 1980's scenario is
looming again - nearly all shops in Bedford were closed down except for
big chains which ran mostly at a loss, something they may not be able to
do now. Not so worried about the welfare of the stores, but about the
social consequences, and this time it's different - we didn't have such
high levels of drug addiction back then. I think there might be an
explosion in violence, which is bad enough as it is.
>
> Christmas rapidly coming up and already stocks are obviously being
> cleared. Are they going to be replaced one asks? In the short to
> medium term, frankly I doubt it.
>
I suppose that's one good thing about mail-order - some things I don't
have to buy in until I have sold them!
The other good thing is that rather than closing down, I could just let
the business run at a very low level so that when things pick up again
(eventually), I still have a well-established business. I can't see the
government allowing that if we need to change onto Income Support
though. They (the rules) want you to be earning nothing, not little bits
here and there.
It's not all bad - just worried about income in the short-term really.
If only the council tax and utilities were a bit lower - they are the
bills we struggle to keep on top of, and it's never ending.
DVH
Bearing in mind I have no experience of your sector, this is only an idea...
Selling jewellery seems quite a visual thing. People may be attracted to the
glitteriness. Ernest Jones appears to be the benchmark for online selling -
their site has big pictures.
The other thing is that the word free has a magical effect :-) Have you
thought about raising prices by £1.50 or whatever and making a big fuss on
your homepage about FREE DELIVERY?
onlyme
"abelard" <abel...@abelard.org> wrote in message
news:llehi4d2qvhrspbgb...@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 23 Nov 2008 02:02:15 +0000, Maria <oldw...@shoe.com> wrote:
>
> >abelard wrote:
> >> On Sun, 23 Nov 2008 01:32:28 +0000, Maria <oldw...@shoe.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Down ~50% on usual figures, even with cut prices. So much for the
> >>> internet retail bubble.
> >>> Not digging for sympathy - I'm used to living on Income Support
anyway!
> >>> Sort of looking forward to it in a way - exhausted at the moment. Need
> >>> to do a lot of DIY anyway.
> >>> Just posting for information...just that nobody is reporting on
> >>> Ecommerce sales - only High Street.
> >>> Anyone else online selling? How are you doing? My own sector is now
> >>> saturated...it's just so easy to build an online store and sell wee
> >>> things you can keep in a drawer. I wish I had some imagination...
> >>
> >> a major error of less able or less resourced business is to
> >> cut advertising in times of difficulty.....
> >> advertising is being widely cut back
> >>
> >
> >I don't usually need any! I've just switched Adwords back on - lots of
> >clickthroughs - few sales. People are looking, but not buying (something
> >else that has been reported on the high street...)
>
> indeed...bright lights....
> watching the show even if not participating
>
>
That's my attitude every bonfire night lol.
Up our favourite hill with a flask of tea and fish & chips....to watch
hundred of thousands of people wasting probably millions of pounds on a
sparkly sky show.
The whole spectacular event costs us less than a tenner for a few hours
entertainment lol.
MM
This will explain why I seem to be saving money. There have never been
so many special offers.
MM
Maria
> I'm trying to clear my stockholding and reduce my business overdraft - I
> don't want to end up with my home repossessed because NatWest cancels my
> OD facility...
>
lol they have just announced on the telly that RBS will be freezing
business overdrafts and are promising not to cancel them. For a year.
I thought I might have been being paranoid, but apparently not.
James Hammerton
> On Sun, 23 Nov 2008 01:32:28 +0000, Maria <oldw...@shoe.com> wrote:
>
>> Down ~50% on usual figures, even with cut prices. So much for the
>> internet retail bubble.
>> Not digging for sympathy - I'm used to living on Income Support anyway!
>> Sort of looking forward to it in a way - exhausted at the moment. Need
>> to do a lot of DIY anyway.
>> Just posting for information...just that nobody is reporting on
>> Ecommerce sales - only High Street.
>> Anyone else online selling? How are you doing? My own sector is now
>> saturated...it's just so easy to build an online store and sell wee
>> things you can keep in a drawer. I wish I had some imagination...
>
> a major error of less able or less resourced business is to
> cut advertising in times of difficulty.....
> advertising is being widely cut back
If they cannot afford to advertise, in what way is cutting back an "error"?
James
DVH
"James Hammerton" <jah.u...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:6ot6deF...@mid.individual.net...
All businesses can afford to advertise if they rearrange their spending.
It's part of the mix. If they're spending all their money on salaries,
supplies and other stuff, but not on advertising, they've got their mix
wrong.
abelard
if there problem is sales contraction.....a situation
in accord with market 'recession'...
then slowing or stopping advertising likely adds to your
drop in sales....
as a market drops....so does the competition for the remaining
available expenditure increase...
is that enough?