How much thought have you given plush toys, balloons, ribbons, containers and baskets over the past year? These items are often thought of only as supporting characters in the floral or gift shop. Pushing these floral supplies to the front of the stage and making them the stars of your shop can present a whole new marketing opportunity.
To do this you not only need to look at new vendors, but also prices points, unique ways to use them and upcoming trends.
Balloons: Don’t Just Blow Them Up
Most shops just sell the standard happy birthday, anniversary or get-well balloons. This doesn’t allow the balloon business to really take flight.
Balloons have great potential. They can be used as decorations, given as gifts or as an accompaniment to other products.
Because balloons come in so many colors and shapes, they can be used for centerpieces or grouped together to make inexpensive arches. So, are you using balloons to their full potential?
Try these balloon star making ideas:
- For Valentines Day – offer a heart made of bright red balloons (not just a heart-shaped balloon).
- For weddings – insert small wedding party favors in the balloons or use balloons as table place cards holders.
It’s time to blow up your balloon sales by offering unique and fun balloon items to your customer!
Ribbons: Bow Them Over
Ribbons are such a versatile staple for any flower/gift shop, but to often they are an after thought. We think of ribbons as a little added touch to solve a packaging issue or to add a pop of color here and there. Don’t let one of your best tools be one of your least thought of or used products.
Ribbons, like balloons, come in a myriad of colors and can be made in to all sorts of shapes and designs.
When a customer needs a unique decoration for a party, show them your talents by making a ribbon topiary.
Make ribbon flowers for a housewarming party for a family who has flower or plant allergies. Bring compromise to a future marriage by offering ribbon colors that can sooth the brides need for hot pink and the grooms wish for less pink, by adding ribbon to the bridal bouquet.
It’s time to make ribbon a forethought instead of an afterthought!
Plush Toys & Marketing Trends: Push the Trendy
Believe it or not, there are trends within the plush toy market from the Angry Birds (taken from the Iphone app game) to polka-dotted elephants. With plush toys, stocking them based on the hottest trends are the way to create star power.
Follow these plush toys tips:
- Don’t be afraid to stray from the standard teddy bear or hearts for Valentines day. Instead, offer frog princes instead or a bee that holds a sign saying “Bee My Valentine”.
- Don’t forget about the seasonal plush merchandise, just make sure it is trendy.
- During homecoming season, offer plush based on school or university mascots.
- Stock unique or quirky plush animals that work with all the gift giving holidays.
Choosing whimsical, trendy items will push your plush toys sales ahead of the pack.
Containers: Contain Your Cost
Each year you need to analyze your container and vase stock. These items could be eating away at your profits if you’re not buying your containers and vases at the right price. Price isn’t the only factor.
Under-buying or over-buying can also effect your bottom line. For example, did you have an overabundance of small baskets or maybe you didn’t buy enough tall glass vases, and had paid extra shipping charges in order to restock and fill an order. The money tied-up in these items could have been better spent somewhere more profitable.
It’s important to watch your inventory and keep track of trends during the season. Knowing that your customers like glass vases for their arrangements more than in baskets or that they like square more than circle ones will help you establish a more profitable inventory.
Working With The Right Partners Makes You A Star
You can’t stock every color or style of containers, ribbons, balloons or plush items. You need to have several vendors who can offer unique items, yet still ship items quickly while offering offer cost-effective prices. Although you need unique items, it is important to have good supply lines for standard floral and gift items. If you can effectively manage the expenditures of your standard inventory, you will have the cash-flow to branch out with unique and trendy items.
Your shop has a host of characters, by bringing your floral supplies to the front of the stage and making floral supplies starts you are setting your store above others.
Are you looking for a great wholesale resource for floral supplies, plush, balloons, containers & vases and ribbon? Finding the wholesale products you need is easy when you use FGmarket. Checkout the floral supplies, plush, balloons, containers & vases and ribbon suppliers below.
Leave a Reply