ETD: 853 Alternative for e-mail newsletter; Jacquie Lawson -
Digital Card for e-tailers; Is there Life after Collectibles? Ask
Swarovski
E-Tailer's Digest
etd_post at gapent.com
Thu Jan 20 12:34:42 GMT 2005
E-Tailer's Digest --- Everything for the Retailer
Issue #0853 January 20, 2005
George Matyjewicz, Moderator mailto:georgem at gapent.com
Published by: GAP Enterprises, Ltd. http://www.etailersdigest.com
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CONTENTS
[1] Greetings
[2] Alternative for e-mail newsletter
[3] Jacquie Lawson - Digital Card for e-tailers
[4] Is there Life after Collectibles? Ask Swarovski
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[1] Greetings.
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Hi All:
Martha Retallick, "The Passionate Postcarder" offers her advice on e-mail
newsletters, something she has used since 2002. Worthy of consideration
for your lists.
List member Victoria Engebretson has contacted Jacquie Lawson (ETD #946 -
"Most Unique Online Christmas Item") seeking a special card for
e-tailers. If you are interested in such a card, Victoria is asking you to
contact Ms. Lawson.
Gift industry guru Pam Danziger has a new report available on the
collectibles industry. I was surprised to learn how that market has
declined over the years from $7.1 billion in 2000 to $3.9 billion in retail
sales in 2003. In 1999, Jacques Chevron and I were keynote speakers at the
Collectibles & Gifts Executive Conference in Chicago when the industry was
flying
high. http://www.etailersdigest.com/resources/Specials/GiftExecConf.htm It
was interesting to look back at their issues then, and what happened
between then and now.
How is business in your part of the world?
Tell us about your business, which will remain for posterity at
our "Members: Who Are You?" site. This is a courtesy to our members who
contribute to our forum, and not merely a way to advertise for free.
Anything to do with the retail world, i.e., supplier, retailer, consulting,
etc. http://etailersdigest.com/resources/members/index.htm And we have a
form there for you to tell us about you. As I said when I first proposed
this idea, we have "known" each other for a long time, yet we often don't
know anything about each other. So, tell us who you are and what you do.
Now, let's get to everything for the retailer.
Sincerely
George Matyjewicz, PhD
Chief Global Strategist, GAP Enterprises, Ltd.
mailto:georgem at gapent.com
http://www.etailersdigest.com
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[2] Alternative for e-mail newsletter
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Back in the summer of 2002, when I first began publishing my Postcard
Marketing Secrets e-zine, I decided to outsource my e-mail list hosting.
Why? Because I wanted to devote my time to creating content for the e-zine,
and to creating publications, events and services that would be promoted
through the 'zine. I didn't have time to deal with the nitty-gritty of list
management, and believed that this was a job that would be better handled
by software.
I chose Databack Systems as my list host. They were recommended by a client
who'd heard good things about them from a fellow she'd hired as a
consultant. The consultant used Databack as his list host. So did my client.
I've been very happy with Databack. I've asked for some custom
modifications to the scripts that handle my e-zine signups and subscriber
statistics reporting. No problem.
I'm also addicted to Databack's daily reports of subscribes, unsubscribes
and bounces after an e-zine has been sent.
URL: http://www.databack.com/
Hope this helps!
Martha Retallick, "The Passionate Postcarder"
http://www.PostcardMarketingSecrets.com
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[3] Jacquie Lawson - Digital Card for e-tailers
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Just wanted you to know that I contacted Jacquie Lawson (the fabulous
digital greeting card designer reported in (ETD #946 - "Most Unique Online
Christmas Item")) about creating a card just for Internet retailers! I
wanted something to put on my checkout page to thank and delight customers
who've just made a purchase. Though she doesn't have time to do "bespoke"
card designs, I suggested she create this card to sell just to e-tailers
and she's considering it.
I thought list member might be interested because there had been a mention
of her in the newsletter. Her cards are delightful, if you haven't
experienced one--very interactive and charming.
Perhaps if members are as interested as I am in having an e-tailers
customer thank you card on their checkout page, they should let Jacquie
know. Her email address is: help at jacquielawson.com
Victoria Engebretson
World of Good Textiles
"Sumptuous Goods at a Fetching Price"
Selling French quilts, luxurious robes, supersoft baby blankets and more
www.worldofgoodtextiles.com
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[4] Is there Life after Collectibles? Ask Swarovski
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Ever since the Beanie Babies’ collecting fad died, it’s been a rough period
for the collectibles industry that manufactures and markets new, as opposed
to vintage, items for collecting. The collectibles industry, which as
recently as 2000 reported sales of $7.1 billion, has declined by 45 percent
to total only $3.9 billion in retail sales in 2003, according to a new
consumer insights report from Unity Marketing, Home Report 2004.
A whole confluence of factors played a part in the decline in the
collectibles market. The industry was struck by changes in their
traditional distribution model with small independent retailers folding in
the wake of national retailers’ growth.
Then eBay came along and opened up the market for anyone to trade in
collectibles. The result? The idea that many collectors held that the
collectible items they bought would someday become more valuable was proved
wrong.
But the real problem was that most marketers ignored the fact that consumer
psychology was changing. People didn’t want to collect that stuff any
longer. Collections of figurines, die-cast cars, dolls and teddy bears
which once looked so appealing decorating their home started to look like
‘clutter.’ People had simply had enough and started to pack away once
beloved collections.
Collectibles marketer Swarovski finds new opportunity in the luxury market
What’s a company to do when its consumer market shifts out from under
them? They can bar the doors, as once thriving industry leader Franklin
Mint has virtually done. Or they can keep doing the same thing they have
always done, but under greatly reduced circumstances, like Enesco Group or
Boyds Collection.
Or they can change their entire business model to target a robust, new
consumer market. International crystal collectibles marketer Swarovski saw
the writing on the wall regarding the collectibles business. They
recognized that adding another product line of animal figurines or
ornaments wasn’t the answer. Swarovski found a promising opportunity for
growth in the luxury market.
Under family scion Nadja Swarovski’s leadership, the company identified new
in-demand applications for their traditional crystals — jewelry and
‘bling-bling’ to adorn fashion accessories and apparel. They then branded
their fashion statements with hangtags that read authentic “Swarovski
Crystals” to distinguish their crystals from the generic
variety. Strategic public relations efforts have spread the word among the
‘glitterati’ who clamor for the luxury brands that decorate with Swarovski,
including Dolce and Gabbana, Stuart Weitzman, Anne Klein and Zac Posen.
Swarovski’s luxury strategy has been a huge success and today the company
boasts world wide sales of $2 billion with 430 company stores reinforcing
the luxury branding message.
About the insights contained in the Home Report 2004
The consumer insights study, Home Report 2004: The Who, What, Where, How
Much and Why of Home Furnishings Shopping (180+ pages), provides details of
a telephone survey among 1,000 home furnishing buyers. The results of the
2004 report are compared with comparable results from surveys in 2000, 2001
and 2003 providing a longitudinal perspective on the changes in the home
furnishings market. The study provides industry sales and growth estimates
for 20 home furnishings product categories and details of consumer purchase
incidence, spending, and where they shop for each product category.
There are five different personalities or segments in the home furnishings
market, but only two of five spend more than average on home goods. The
report reveals insights into the psychology of selling to each of the five
home shopper personalities, their turn ons and turn offs.
The research reveals 15 key findings of changes, shifts and movement in the
home furnishings market. Nine strategic opportunities for home retailers
and marketers to grow their sales and expand their share of market are
included.
Luxury consumers (incomes $75,000 and above) lead in purchase incidence in
19 of 20 categories in the study and spend more than anyone else. Luxury
consumers’ average spending on home furnishings is 138 times more than the
average. A special section of the Home Report focuses on the latest
insights on the luxury home furnishings consumer, including eight things
that every home marketer needs to know about the luxury consumer.
Pam Danziger
Unity Marketing
717-336-1600
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