Though specializing in traditional toys, some retailers in Germany now tend to give attention to other commodities. Here we will see ideas and experience of such retailing store owners, to read about the significance of specific product mix and the way to highlight such commodities.
Wieland Sulzer (Marburg-based Sulzer Toys)
To satisfy our customers, we offer learning tools, handwork kits, snack, cool drink, ice cream and lots of other things. It is of great significance for us to provide these extra commodities. I believe, our subsidiary products are used for “perfecting our service”, instead of “restocking”. We attach great importance to the demonstration of goods and when we’ve done this, sales volume, goods turnover and profit per square meter will tell us the customers’ contentment. We always emphasize our image as toy specialty and will never let subsidiary business damage it.
Daniel Dorner (Dresden-based Spielaxie Toys)
Most of our subsidiary goods are snack that sold briskly in market. As to learning articles, we focus on school bags. And we are still considering to include other categories. One thing I consider to be necessary—kids’ favorite magazines. We expect to cater to consumers’ demands to the best of our ability. Related products are in all kinds of variety.
Anyway, one principle is—let your consumer find what he need in one place. As a retailer, we have a good chance to display our own characteristic.
Heiz Ludl (Donauwörth-based Ludl Spiel+Freizeit)
Dealing with subsidiary business is a game what all of us are playing nowadays. Actually we have lots of attempt in this respect. Snacks, writing tools, gifts and a good number of other items have been included by my store. However, discount stores around us do the same thing to gain short-term profit. Hence, it requires us, specialty store, to make prompt response at any time.
At present, there still is little promotion and consultancy on the advantage of specialty stores. We have to figure it out whether it deserves our investment. Therefore, paying attention to subsidiary products means wider business scope. A room for goods demonstration is needed, but it’s what small specialty store lacks. We hold that, it would be better that we stress demonstration of our knockouts. It is impossible to include all into our shelves.
Matthias Karalus (Werder-based Schule-Buero-Freizeit)
Writing tools, learning articles, handpicked gifts and snacks are among our subsidiary categories. Besides, we offer lots of service, including binding, copying, T-shirt printing, letter-spraying, production of passport photos and lottery sales. Since as a small city as ours, people prefer buying in large shopping mall, it is importance to keep different ages of consumers in you store with complete product mix. With subsidiary products, we have increased our sales volume greatly. Besides our fly sheets, in store and outdoor bill boards are used to notice consumers that we have all kinds of products and service. New arrival will be displayed in eye-catching location on shelves. In addition, we will have commercial campaign in local public media.
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