This is our last issue of KBzine prior to the holiday break and with it falling so close to Christmas this year, I’m dreading having to make my way through the High Street tomorrow to pick up my last minute bits and pieces for Christmas, together with fresh fruit and veg from the local market, as it’s not something I tend to do on the last Saturday before Christmas.

My family and close friends have avoided the pre-Christmas scrums for well over a decade, by making a pact that gifts are to be inexpensive or even home-made, which has turned out to be a real blessing. It’s kept our costs and stress levels down and has prevented the accumulation at home of unused gifts or the need to join the January returns queues. Having seen (via my computer screen) the violent scenes that erupted on Black Friday recently I shall be approaching the town with some trepidation tomorrow morning!

No doubt the industry is hoping that no-one else is like my circle and that shoppers will be treating their loved ones to smart new kitchen appliances and the like – or even the promise in the New Year of a new kitchen or bathroom! One of my contacts – a supply chain maximisation expert - has suggested that the best way to make the most of your showroom is to have customer ‘wants’ at the front of the showroom and customer ‘needs’ behind the counter wherever possible.  He says that the customer may come in for something they need, but walking through the showroom, they might fall in love with something they want. I hear those tills ringing as I write!

Another suggestion is to turn the salesroom into a video showroom, with two or three videos playing on different monitors.  Not only does this turn the showroom into an educational experience, but customers might decide to select something they see demonstrated in the video. Something worth bearing in mind perhaps?

I’ll keep my fingers crossed that this season is a healthy, joyful and prosperous one for you. We’ll be back on 9th January and in the meantime we wish you a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

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Yours,

Jan Hobbs