Retail mark up

[Terry - Somerset]

It has always seemed to me that selling is the most difficult of business activities.

All others are within the control of management - finance, HR, production. purchasing, product development etc. I am not suggesting they are without challenge, but the solutions are in the control of the management - pay more, use a different supplier, recruit staff etc.

Selling requires someone over whom you have no direct control to give you an order.

 

[Sideways]

Selling, especially multi million ££ contracts and despite it being very much a team game, is a stressful job if you care at all.
You almost certainly lose more than you win. If you lose too many and the company doesn't make it's budgetted order intake the business will have to adapt. Within months people get laid off all across the organisation as a direct consequence of failure to win sales and the sales teams are going to get beaten over the head with that reality.
A lot of people's livelihoods depend on senior sales people's skill in a cutthroat environment. I've seen a few instances where they really earned their bonuses.

 

[johnnyb]

I'm certainly not in the multi million £ bracket. But perhaps at a level more relevant to the forums output! I do like the suggestion of incorporating Web addresses into ebay/etsy pics though nice and sneaky. I could sell a little cheaper than ebay as well(maybe 10%) and pocket the difference (although a webshop also has a cost of course)

 

[niemeyjt]

There seem to be a few selling platforms - so maybe add value selecting one with extra features - for example I think Shopify will do export/VAT calculations.

As for the price - look at what your rivals charge and undercut by as little as possible.

 

[johnnyb]

That's called a race to the bottom and I suggest never getting involved in that. I occasionally work for a retired doctor and he is soooo tight. Every job is a bodge as he's arrived at the cheapest quote. I tend to only reply if I've nothing else to do. As he's incredibly disorganised as well wanting everything now or earlier. Good honest trades will avoid him. I won't even recomend anyone as he's just price shopping.very boring.

 

[Spectric]

That's called a race to the bottom and I suggest never getting involved in

A common mistake builders and other tradesman make, if your work is good and the price is fair then that is the price. You find customers will come back having turned your quote down originally but this time it cost them more as you also now have to repair the cheap bodges that the other guy has done.

The one thing people should learn is that if you want a job done and someone says I can do it tomorrow whilst others cannot for several weeks then ask yourself why is this guy not busy unlike the others.

 

[HOJ]

Interesting, I just went on to @johnnyb Etsy site, and a pop up comes up offering me 15% off my first order, who's doing/paying for the discounting?

 

[Stigmorgan]

Interesting, I just went on to @johnnyb Etsy site, and a pop up comes up offering me 15% off my first order, who's doing/paying for the discounting?

View attachment 183286

Probably Etsy, they're just trying to get you to buy something, there's likely a hidden minimum spend too.

 

[johnnyb]

It's not my site either! Mine is ecodryrack.

 

[johnnyb]

I would guess its the Seller applying this as etsy make discounts really easy.

 

[HOJ]

@johnnyb It was yours.

 

[johnnyb]

Wow its not off my take directly(possibly to encourage first timers) but on ebay I sell maybe four times the amount. Some small price discounts using the offers system.

 

[HOJ]

Just thought id give it a go:

 

[johnnyb]

The fees are rightly lower on etsy as traffic is quite low. I guess its a promo based on your status as a non user(is that correct?)

 

[HOJ]

I guess its a promo based on your status as a non user(is that correct?)

Never bought anything from Etsy, to be honest I use as a guide to see what is selling and prices, selfishly.

I do like your Range oven drier solution, we have a Rayburn which also earns its keep as a clothes drier when the sun don't shine, but things just get piled up on the top.

 

[johnnyb]

There good sellers(less so atm as people tend to turn off range cookers). Its interesting because those slightly heath Robinson sheila maid winch ups seem to support several reasonable companies(maybe 3 or 4) largely because they are made abroad I reckon. As soon as its made cheap abroad it slots into UK retail easily. Making something becomes much harder when it's uk made so the prices end up"out of whack" largely because of the out of whack price of labour/materials. The shops are scared of poor sales when there large costs(plus vat) are added hence uk made and retail is unusual

 

[Cabinetman]

Yes I like that drier as well, a good simple design that obviously works. Sort of thing I enjoy designing- I call it engineering in wood. My saddle stands were of that type.
Ian

 

[johnnyb]

Just to bring this thread full circle I've now received replies from three of the target 5 shops. It's not great news. I think these places are looking at paying around £30-40 per item and sell it at £70 or 80. Which is a quarter of what I currently sell them at. I reckon those hipster hardware shops use eco indie sustainable simply as a brand to sell. To survive I guess they need to be ruthless with the margins.
I'm doubtful if they could turnover enough sales to really chase this hare. Incidentally the large company never even replied!

 

[MF1000]

My wife & I did a joint even on thurs/friday …me showcasing my tables and Jane her cake bakes, sweet treats etc. Footfall wasn’t as expected, people just wanted to taste the samples and low sales. Table wise …lots of positive feedback & comments, a few people took details etc maybe I’ll get a call.

The show had expected 6.5k people across the two days (based on previous years) ….but I’d guess this year it was 2k at most .

Still if you don’t try you never find out as they say.

We decided to call for an Indian takeaway on the way home - only to find out our usual one was closed for a 4 week kitchen refit . Off to a local restaurant that does takeaways and whilst waiting and chatting to the owner he discusses changing the table tops in the restaurant….how ironic that after two days with no firm interest I may have something from a completely different area. Life can be so bizarre at times.

 

[Jester129]

@MF1000 - time to buy some lottery tickets!