May - Connect2One

Connections
May 2015 Powered by indiCo / Uniting Independents
Robb Faust
Program Manager
April has showered us with supply distributors’ spring shows and college stores have lots of supply offerings to
help grow sales at back-to-school. During the month of May, I hope you’ll plant a few new ideas into your supplies
area and take time to spruce it up with what’s hot this year.
Prepare the Soil
Viewed mainly as functional essentials, supplies may
not be your bread-and-butter sales. I hope, however,
that you see potential growth in this area of your store. It’s hard work
to cultivate a successful supplies section each year. To prepare for
back-to-school rush, you toil and get your hands dirty. You utilize your
tools so that the soil—your store—can deliver the right mix of product
for what customers want and need. Then the fun begins!
Add the Elements
Every year, supply manufacturers seed the market with
new products and top sellers. What’s hot this year? As
in a garden, seeds are activated by the elements. For
supply buyers, you look for products infused with fashion elements.
Look for “Color Play” from Miquel Rius, the “Modern Jen” collection
from Roaring Spring Paper Products, new neon-colored TriPlus
markers from Staedtler, and of course my favorite pick from Pilot—
the Bottle2Pen Colors! This bold color trend coordinates nicely with
popular patterns like chevron and dots as well as paisley and Aztec
designs sprinkled throughout the category this year.
In addition, we are seeing refreshing floral and vintage imagery in
paper products that are surprisingly elegant. Roaring Spring Paper
Products, ACCO, and Top Flight offer sensational spring collections
featuring daisies, leaf, and earth-friendly patterns. In the binder
category, Samsill, Four Point, and Avery give stores a variety of imprint
options featuring trendy designs. Writing instrument manufacturers
have reintroduced a flashy trend into their lines—Metallics. BIC
Mark-it permanent marker, a “C2O Pick,” is available in eight new
metallic colors. Pilot G2 launched two new products: G2 Metallics and
G2 Mosaic, both shining in this area. Like the sun, GOLD is coming on
strong as the color of choice. From function to fashion, vendor partners
are offering fresh choices to inspire you.
Yield the Results
After carefully selecting the products best suited for
your store and adding the necessary elements, growth
happens. With constant weeding of the non-sellers to
make space for the top-sellers, you can successfully
spruce up this area and watch your supply garden grow this year.
Download the complete “What’s Hot in Supplies” presentation at
connect2one.com.
Left to Right: Miquel Rius (1,2), ACCO (2,3), Top Flight, Roaring Spring Paper, vintage collection, Samsill, gold items.
May 2015
Connections 1
New Vendors for 2015
From Sock Monkeys to Logo
Pillows to Musical Birthday
Bears Plushland offers a great
assortment of customized
plush perfect for college
bookstores. Sock Monkeys have been extremely popular and
come in 5 sizes including a larger than life 6 foot version.
Compliment your Sock Monkeys with Sock Monkey Hats and
Sock Monkey Team Pillows. Create a whole Sock Monkey
Department! Minimums usually range from 4-24 pieces. Of
course Hello Kitty is also very popular in bookstores and comes
in 4 sizes. Other popular styles include Domo, Cheerleader
Bears and Plush Footballs and Basketballs. Seasonal and
everyday product includes plush for Valentine’s Day, Easter
and Halloween. Plushland also offers a custom mascot program
with a 500 piece minimum.
Diploma frames take on a whole new
look with USA Diploma Frames.
While a full range of traditional
frames are available USA Diploma
Frames offers a fresh, new look with
their camouflage and contemporary
graphics. Mats reflect the taste and lifestyle of the student for
a more personalized look. Camo mats come in every school
color—they even come in pink! Contemporary designs include
patriotic mats, stars and swirls in all colors. Matching picture
frames are also available.
Rareform takes old billboards
and turns them into backpacks,
tote bags and wallets through
a process called “upcycling”.
Billboards consist of individual
panels made from pvc coated
materials. Rareform buys old panels from outdoor
sign companies that install and take down billboards
and prevents them from going into landfills. It’s great
for the environment. Rareform manufactures its
product in California and donates 1% of its sales to
For the Planet, a leading environmental group that
helps companies achieve and maintain sustainable
business solutions.
2 Connections
May 2015
Tell Us About New Vendor Programs!
Are you looking to expand the selection in your store?
We’ve added programs in a few new categories this year.
Familiarize yourself with the following vendor partners
available now in the C2O digital catalog:
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May 2015
Connections 3
The Power of Price Promotions
College store managers and buyers are
always looking for ways to promote
products in a fresh way. According
to a recent Inc.com article, “a wellused price promotion can attract new
customers so they come back again
and again.” Do you have an effective
price promotion strategy? How do you
communicate it to your customers?
It’s not about blanket discounts anymore: 25% off this
department or 50% off that one. Though it seems like you’re
giving customers a deal, you’re actually cheapening the value
of the items you want to sell. Inc.com continues, “Focus on
articulating the why of your product instead of the how much.”
Have confidence in your buying decisions and stand behind the
product.
Take promotions to a new level with pricing strategies that
reach your customer. At back-to-school, for example, create
a collection or bundle of products that make sense. The red
“Perfect 10 Set” at the Dixie State Campus Store has everything
needed to start the university experience. The Tiger Bookstore
does a nice job on Pinterest by tagging a variety of products
based on upcoming events. Post your recommendations online
or share through social media to give customers a reason to
shop in your store.
Studies have shown that prices ending with the number 9
are “effective in outselling even lower prices for the exact same
product.” Take advantage of vendor specials or buying group
values (like the C2O commitment programs) and offer $19.99,
$24.99, and $29.99 pricing on sweatshirts or hoodies. Gregory
Ciotti, a content strategist at Helpscout.com says, “You need to
test multiple price points for your different types of customers.”
Incorporating a pricing strategy based on what your customer
is willing to pay is a much smarter option that may improve
your bottom line.
Another element for a successful price-point promotion is
to cross-sell your categories, from supplies to tech to apparel.
Leverage your product assortments to give your customers
lots of options under one price. For rush, you might offer
10 Essentials Under $10, your top suggestions for back-toschool including fashion notebooks, custom binders, earbuds,
mechanical pencil packs, and even a basic tee shirt. Set up a
wire rack or corrugated cardboard display to create a focal
point in your store. Why not offer low prices with high value
for your everyday pricing? 15 Basics Under $5 can feature
super values on pens or pencil packs, staplers, chargers, cables,
desk accessories, and one- or three-subject notebooks. Both of
these promotions help you stay competitive with mass market
pricing in your area.
An effective price-point promotion focuses attention on
what customers look for when deciding to purchase a product.
They are perfect for upcoming holidays and events. Parents,
families, alumni, and students will appreciate your efforts to
meet their needs. The power of price promotions is in your
hands. What will you do with it?
University of West Georgia
Bookstore, Carrollton, GA
The Cornell Store,
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
DSU Campus Store, Dixie State
University, St. George, UT
Tiger Bookstore, serving
University of Memphis,
Memphis, TN
Sources:
“Seven Pricing Mistakes That Will
Kill Your Sales” by Gregory Ciotti,
Helpscout.net/blog
“Don’t Discount; Here’s Why” by
Vanessa Merit Nornberg, Inc.com
“Tapping the Power of Price
Promotions” by Arjun Dev Arora,
Inc.com
4 Connections
May 2015
Give Your Students A Sporting (Goods) Chance
State-of-the-art recreation and fitness facilities are a big part
of campus tours and recruitment efforts to woo students to
school. Student well-being, wellness and active lifestyles are
enhanced and encouraged with these premier facilities. While
the phrase “college sports” usually brings to mind thoughts of
high-visibility events, that’s only part of the story. Many more
students participate in:
program from new vendor 360 Athletics is introduced on
Page 3 of this newsletter. Also new to C2O is Europa Sports
Products, offering our stores a wide range of healthy snacks,
drinks, and fitness equipment.
Having products convenient for sporting needs just makes
sense!
The NACSCORP selection includes balls, racquets, fitness, yoga,
flying discs, apparel, swimming, ping pong, protection, and
more. Both private label and leading brands are available and
competitively priced: Penn (tennis), Master (locks), Wham-O
(frisbees), to name a few.
•
•
•
Club sports—estimated 2 million students
Intramural competition—estimated 8 million students
Active lifestyles—countless students!
The C2O Digital Catalog features three sporting goods vendors:
360 Athletics, Europa Sports Products, and NACSCORP. The
NACSCORP offers a selection of more than 70 Sporting Good
SKUs for purchase individually, or in a recommended 4’ section
that focuses on several key activities. Tailor the assortment
to your school based on sales after bringing in the planned
assortment or create your own assortment based on the
popularity of different sports on your campus.
Contact these vendor partners for more details:
NACSCORP Account Manager
Europa Sports Products
360 Athletics
(800) 321-3883(800) 447-4795(888) 360-4625
sales@nacscorp.comtonyatarlton@europasports.com
sales@360athletics.com
1
2
1) NACSCORP
2) 360 Athletic
options
3) NACSCORP
Planogram
4) BW Bookstore,
Baldwin-Wallace
University,
Berea, OH
5) Davidson
College Store,
Davidson, NC
3
4
May 2015
5
Connections 5
Case Studies in Apparel Commit Programs
The SOURCE Program has generated commitments of over
596,000 garments from nearly 250 stores. Here are some tips
on how two buyers are using these margin and promotion
builders.
Veteran collegiate buyers Kristin Bonetati at The 49er Shops
Bookstore and Jane Haeberle at BYU Idaho University Store
shared some of the secrets of their success at a CAMEX session
on commitment programs. As smaller campuses, their advice
on making the most of commit pricing will work for many store
types.
SALES STRATEGIES
At 49er Shops, Kristin focuses on major sales events once
or twice every semester, limiting the promotions for greater
impact. Limiting quantities creates excitement, teaches
customers to buy the first day and increases Facebook likes
so customers will get the inside scoop on the next sale. Kristin
comments, “Unlike Scantrons, it’s okay to sell out!” Kristin likes
to keep pricing simple-both the crew and the hood retail at the
same price. At $19.99, the sweatshirts blow off the tables.
For BYU Idaho, Jane uses a margin building approach with
her selection of Mom, Dad and “Class of” t-shirts. At everyday
regular prices of $9.99, Jane earns more than a 60% margin.
For Grad Week, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and holiday sales, a
promo price of $6.00 encourages shoppers while still netting
the store a 35% margin.
Guess what’s happening Monday at 9:00 am at
49er Shops Bookstore?
TIPS ON GRAPHICS
Whether using Cal State Long Beach or Long Beach State,
Kristin, has learned that simple is better. Here are her top tips:
•
Limit the number of graphics to 3 or 4
•
Keep graphics gender neutral
•
•
•
•
Keep graphics to a one color imprint
Make sure the promo products look plainer (cheaper!)
than regular stock
Don’t repeat a graphic too many times
Move a crew graphic to a hood to mix it up and keep them
coming back for more styles
Final tips from Jane and Kristin: some colors just don’t work
in their stores. Cut losses quickly and move on. When it comes
to sizing, some colors and graphics can skew your usual size
matrix. Jane comments that she doesn’t run many smalls for
Dad’s but smalls are always in demand on a pink shirt!
THE
SOURCE
A Joint Connect2One ICBA Program
Deals for Dad’s and Grads at BYU Idaho
6 Connections
May 2015
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May 2015
Connections 7
Take Control of Your Inbound Shipping
Reducing inbound shipping costs is one of the easiest, yet
most overlooked ways to reduce your overall transportation
expenses. Like many college stores, Connect2One members
may not currently have control over the shipments coming
inbound to them. Here are 4 steps you can follow to better
understand your true inbound shipping costs, and the cost
savings opportunities you may be missing:
•
Find a 3PL or shipping partner that has inbound
shipping management experience
•
Negotiate the best possible inbound shipping rates with
your carriers
•
•
Analyze your inbound shipping to determine actual
shipping costs and opportunities for savings
As the only shipping provider created by and for the college
industry, PartnerShip® makes it easy for you to save on your
inbound shipments by providing you with a free analysis and
sending your vendors routing instructions on your behalf. To
get started, visit PartnerShip.com/InboundAnalysis.
Visit PartnerShip.com/C2O for complete program
information and to enroll in the free Connect2One Shipping
Program. If you have any questions, please call PartnerShip at
800-599-2902, or email sales@PartnerShip.com.
Create inbound routing instructions and send them to all
of your key vendors
Connect2One is looking for great merchandising ideas to include
in our Visual Merchandising Primer. Send your before and after
pictures to Paula at phaerr@connect2one.com.
Need help with a problem area in your store? Send those pictures
to Paula for some helpful tips.
Connect2One Welcomes
Laurier Bookstore
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, ON
Kerry Martin, Assistant Bookstore Manager
kmartin@wlu.ca
Reports
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4350 Glendale-Milford Rd. Suite 240
Cincinnati, OH 45242
Phone: 800-563-9034 or 513-754-0111
Fax: 800-600-9034
connect2one.com
info@connect2one.com
8 Connections
May 2015