Try to speak to someone who has retail experience. Suppliers sometimes have their own customers working on the stand just for the show; some reps have run their own shops before ‘going over to the other side’.
Whoever you speak to must be able to tell you:
◆ the prices;
◆ order quantities required;
◆ availability;
◆ the best sellers.
петък, 15 януари 2010 г.
сряда, 13 януари 2010 г.
PLACING THE ORDERS
If it is a difficult order – something new, or that you are unsure about – make sure it is the first thing you do in the day whilst your mind is fresh and clear, so you can concentrate properly.
If you are only there for a day, sit down, have a coffee and go through everything carefully before placing the orders. A’s candles may be cheaper than B’s but you can buy more efficiently from C, who will supply both candles and wind chimes.
As you walk round, make notes of suppliers you have missed, those you need to go back to and those you have actually placed orders with. Over the following weeks and months check off what you receive against the orders you placed and chase those that are slow in arriving. It is amazing how many suppliers spend thousands of pounds on an exhibition stand but fail to send out the orders they take.
If you are only there for a day, sit down, have a coffee and go through everything carefully before placing the orders. A’s candles may be cheaper than B’s but you can buy more efficiently from C, who will supply both candles and wind chimes.
As you walk round, make notes of suppliers you have missed, those you need to go back to and those you have actually placed orders with. Over the following weeks and months check off what you receive against the orders you placed and chase those that are slow in arriving. It is amazing how many suppliers spend thousands of pounds on an exhibition stand but fail to send out the orders they take.
понеделник, 11 януари 2010 г.
How to spend your time at the show
Start by walking around the halls, collecting catalogues and gaining information from suppliers. Unless you are very experienced, do not buy anything when you first see it. Buy the show catalogue at the end of the day so you are not carrying around a heavy weight.
If you are going to be there for at least two days (and I do recommend this), in the evening go through your notes and the catalogues you have collected to see whether your initial reaction was right.You will find yourself asking what you saw in some products. Discard these and make a list of all the people to go back to, the questions to ask and approximately how much you want to spend with each. After that, finish looking round and start to place your orders.
If you are going to be there for at least two days (and I do recommend this), in the evening go through your notes and the catalogues you have collected to see whether your initial reaction was right.You will find yourself asking what you saw in some products. Discard these and make a list of all the people to go back to, the questions to ask and approximately how much you want to spend with each. After that, finish looking round and start to place your orders.
събота, 9 януари 2010 г.
Allow plenty of time
Do not rush your visit. My buying needs cover giftware, jewellery, furniture, home furnishings, cosmetics, clothes and music. Ideally I spend a minimum of three days at the Spring Fair, visiting almost all of the exhibition halls.
Being comfortable
Many visitors get themselves all dolled up in their Sunday best, but what
you look like will make little difference to the success of your business, except for your shoes. If your feet are tired and sore you will flag early. So whatever else you do, wear flat, comfortable shoes. To walk every aisle of every hall of the NEC is approximately 20 miles.
Being comfortable
Many visitors get themselves all dolled up in their Sunday best, but what
you look like will make little difference to the success of your business, except for your shoes. If your feet are tired and sore you will flag early. So whatever else you do, wear flat, comfortable shoes. To walk every aisle of every hall of the NEC is approximately 20 miles.
четвъртък, 7 януари 2010 г.
Deciding how much to spend
Set a buying budget before going to the show. Allocate this roughly between each area of the shop, or the different categories of stock that you sell, depending on how you organise your business. List the types of stock you are in need of, such as:
◆ things to hang on the wall;
◆ items in the £2.99 or less selling bracket;
◆ a new cash and carry cosmetics supplier;
◆ ‘stage setting’ products which will give the shop that ‘Wow’ factor.
◆ things to hang on the wall;
◆ items in the £2.99 or less selling bracket;
◆ a new cash and carry cosmetics supplier;
◆ ‘stage setting’ products which will give the shop that ‘Wow’ factor.
вторник, 5 януари 2010 г.
Finding your suppliers
A week or two prior to an event the organisers will send your tickets and usually a booklet listing all the exhibitors together with their stand numbers. Highlight suppliers you want to see, those you currently deal with and those you have dealt with in the past. Even if you do not intend to do an order it is worth looking at what they are selling, to get a feel for how trends have changed, what is new, and what has had its day. Note details of suppliers you want to see but cannot find in the booklet – you may find them at the show listed under another name.
Take a Dictaphone with you to make notes. Quicker and easier than writing, you can record reminders of the many diverse things you see – prices, quantities, location of suppliers, and so on.
Take a Dictaphone with you to make notes. Quicker and easier than writing, you can record reminders of the many diverse things you see – prices, quantities, location of suppliers, and so on.
събота, 2 януари 2010 г.
BUYING AT A TRADE SHOW
The first time I went ‘buying’ at a trade show, I walked round, collected every brochure in sight, bought nothing and never looked at most of the brochures again – they sat in their carrier bags behind the sofa for years! I was too overawed by the amount of choice and had not prepared properly for what I really wanted to buy.
Take the following advice to avoid wasting your time and your household space.
There are trade shows for all sectors of the retail industry held throughout the year, across the world. Use an internet site such as www.exhibitions.co.uk to search for those that are relevant to your business. Or check with the major exhibition centres themselves.
These include:
◆ the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham
◆ Harrogate International Centre,Yorkshire
◆ Earls Court, London
◆ Olympia, London
◆ Excel, London.
The biggest trade show in the world is The Spring Fair. It begins on the first Sunday of February each year and runs for five days at the NEC, Birmingham. It is termed as a gift fair but covers a vast array of goods including:
◆ general and design-led gifts
◆ greetings cards
◆ cosmetics
◆ jewellery from plastic beads to platinum and diamonds
◆ luxury leather goods
◆ art and framing equipment
◆ household goods from bread boards to furniture, plastic bowls to china and crystal
◆ Christmas decorations
◆ soft toys, games and fancy dress.
There are halls for wholesale buyers who are buying in very large volumes, including those who are prepared to deal directly with suppliers from the Far East, not all of whom speak English.
Take the following advice to avoid wasting your time and your household space.
There are trade shows for all sectors of the retail industry held throughout the year, across the world. Use an internet site such as www.exhibitions.co.uk to search for those that are relevant to your business. Or check with the major exhibition centres themselves.
These include:
◆ the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham
◆ Harrogate International Centre,Yorkshire
◆ Earls Court, London
◆ Olympia, London
◆ Excel, London.
The biggest trade show in the world is The Spring Fair. It begins on the first Sunday of February each year and runs for five days at the NEC, Birmingham. It is termed as a gift fair but covers a vast array of goods including:
◆ general and design-led gifts
◆ greetings cards
◆ cosmetics
◆ jewellery from plastic beads to platinum and diamonds
◆ luxury leather goods
◆ art and framing equipment
◆ household goods from bread boards to furniture, plastic bowls to china and crystal
◆ Christmas decorations
◆ soft toys, games and fancy dress.
There are halls for wholesale buyers who are buying in very large volumes, including those who are prepared to deal directly with suppliers from the Far East, not all of whom speak English.