HOW DID WE DO IT? Create our ECNL product merchandising technique

HOW DID WE DO IT?  

 Elizabeth explains ..  ..  

In the mid 1990's Elizabeth Cooke Nottingham Lace Giftware became available in at least 16 outlets including 6 Hotel Receptions ,3  Local Council Tourism Centres, plus numerous Visitor Attractions and least 4 local Motorway Service Stations. In a short time we had giftware at Belvoir Castle, Belton House, Clumber Park, Rufford Park, In all 3 Centre Parcs operations.

Our early success in persuading visitor centres/locations to sell our products, presented new hurdles for us to understand and overcome

Initially we had difficulty in persuading Managers/Buyers to consider our products The problem arose with stock levels/replenishing/merchandising/payments/margins/ non-selling stock/delivery scheduling etc etc..   

 Insurmountable hurdles for the vast majority of new small businesses.  Or were they? Certainly NOT

A further problem arose in establishing an acceptable “Merchandise spots” within a particular sales floors. A spot which satisfied the individual Departmental Sales Manager/Assistant  ( Theses staff are aware of the existing highly rated/ preferential spots within their “patch” . Areas which invariably produce consistently good levels of sales and as a result do not want then jeopardised or put at risk with introduction of a new and unproven product line ) 
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Our response to all these points was to create an individual merchandising technique which offered flexibility, utilising minimal floor/sales area, yet was capable of displaying a variable number of products, which could be merchandised with little or no disruption to the existing sales floor personnel. 

This merchandising technique was instrumental in establishing approx 140+ sales outlets countrywide (over a 3 year period of controlled growth) each stocked and merchandised direct from/by Elizabeth Yes really!

A merchandising technique which complemented and integrated precisely with our manufacturing method of imitating the "BAG MAN" method of producing lace goods - a technique used in the mid 1800 < early 1900's ,

To be continued .. .. 

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