Cooler Weather & A New Cookbook From Ree Drummond

There is something about even slightly cooler weather which lifts the spirits of a retailer.
This summer not only has the weather been sort of unusual, the normal shopper has not been visiting local stores.  One can never analyze this kind of situation and come up with a very specific and accurate answer to why this summer has been a slow shopping season.
Of course, we retailers speculate all the time about such things.  What are we doing wrong?  Where are all the normal shoppers?  Is it the economy?  Is it the severe drop in oil prices?  Is it just too hot to get out?  Are people tired of the rain?
You can see how such questions generate a panic and a continual commentary.  When a sales rep visits, we give that person "the 3rd degree".  What has he or she been seeing in other cities?  Other states?  What is the word on the street? 
Of course, if retailers aren't ordering, then sales reps aren't getting their commissions.  In many respects, everything is tied together and each element affects the others.  Sometimes it feels like we are in a bumper car, crashing into others whom we can't even see until they are right there in front of us.
So, back to how weather affects the attitude of retailers.
Cooler weather means 4th Quarter and 4th Quarter means (1) more shoppers  (2) lots of new and fresh merchandise (3) store promotions  (4) holiday parties  (5) gift baskets and candy buffets  (6)  frequent visits from favorite sales reps  (7)  gift with purchase promotions  (8)  new ribbon, new gift bags, new merchandising  (9)  more hours for staff members  (10) lots of things to be grateful for!!
That's what I am thinking at the moment.  And a new cookbook from Ree Drummond!!

Cecil and "Beanie" Baby: A Sleazy Story

Remember Beanie Babies?  They are still around and so is Ty Warner, the founder of the Ty company who has recently been accused of hiding $96 million in a Swiss bank account to avoid paying taxes on all the money he earned from those little plush animals.
The Plea Agreement which the judge accepted in this case against Ty Warner was based on $5 million evasion, not on the $96 million Warner clearly stashed away to avoid paying taxes.
Normally someone accused of this sort of crime is given jail time of up to 4 years, 9 months.
Warner was given probation and community service.
Bernie Madoff was given 150 years in prison for a similiar crime.
Now Ty Warner has announced the creation of Cecil the Lion Beanie Baby in memory of the beloved 13-year-old lion killed on July 2, 2015 at the Hwange National Park in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe.
What kind of sleazy business is this, that Warner is going to make a bunch of money off the tragic and illegal killing of this lion?
On the one hand, consumers' hearts will be touched by this little plush lion.  On the other hand, consumers who purchase this plush animal will just be supporting Ty Warner and his unacceptable ability to make millions off the killing of that lion.
I guess you can tell that I am a bit incensed about this whole situation.
I clearly remember going to the Dallas Market several times where the Ty company had a large area in the Temporary Booths, roped off and secured by Security Guards.  If you wanted in to check out the Ty plush, you had to wait until someone else left and you were watched carefully by the guards as if you were going to steal one of the samples.
 What sort of comment is this on good faith between a manufacturer and his customers?  Once again, a black eye on the face of the retail world.
 

Sweet Tooth Production Company

I am on a survey list from a trade magazine called Gift Beat.  Every month I receive a survey asking questions about trends, which products are selling best, if sales are up or down, etc. etc.
Sometimes I have been able to add a comment about something we are doing at Sweet Tooth which is different from what others might be doing, or from what we have been doing in the past.
Occasionally I have even been quoted in Gift Beat, but most of the time I am listed as "an Oklahoma retailer"!!!
Once the magazine did a feature story on our store.  That was fun.
Recently, if you follow us on Facebook, Instagram or get our email newsletter you may have noticed that Jeff is totally into producing videos for these.  And we are finding that the videos get more attention than any text we write.
That makes sense, doesn't it?  Our world is full of movement, music, commercial messages, pop ups on the internet, and we are all becoming more attuned to videos than we are to words.  The message of 1 or 2 minutes is what we are accustomed to seeing on television and now on our computers. 
I know that some people spend lots of time watching Cat Videos, for example, instead of reading books about Cats. Not me, of course!!
The point is that our new approach to getting the word out is Jeff's little video productions.
Sometimes our staff has been cast in the videos.  They have found that they can't really turn Jeff down and sometimes reluctantly agree to do the silly things he asks us to do.  And sometimes we all have a blast with these videos....I am remembering the Dammit Doll videos which were so silly and so much fun.
Jeff sent a link to our videos to Gift Beat magazine.  I'll let you know if the magazine is interested in our films.
Stay cool!!