For all those retailers setting off to Melbourne on their annual buying trip we’d also like to draw to your attention the opportunity of learning and gaining insights into improving business through a seminar based Business Development Program. Since the GFC retail has experienced some tough times, so learning new things, getting ideas and simply being motivated is a great thing to do.  We’d recommend you set aside some time to participate in the Program.

Reed Gift Fairs, Business Development Program is running  throughout the Fair offering a comprehensive program of seminar style session covering the following topics:

• The 100 minute MBA of Retail Trading
• Grow, Diversify and Out-manoeuvre Your Competition
• Control Your Buying
• Visual merchandising for the small(er) retailer
• Local Area marketing
• The Power of 2 Purchase – How customer data gives wholesalers and manufacturers the power retail distribution.
• Retain or acquire? Are your current customers feeding your business or do you need new ones?
• Find Your Perfect Match

In this final seminar I will be contributing as a supplier with Kate Moriarty from Stem a successful on-trend design store in Balmain.  By clicking the [red] link below you can Reserve Your Place!

Reserve your Place       Reed Gift Fair: 7 – 11 August

Find Your Perfect Match

Presented by Michael Neaylon – Director, MCME

Monday 9 August 11.00am – 12.30pm

What makes the perfect retailer / wholesaler relationship? Does such a partnership exist? In this highly interactive seminar, we discuss how partnership of various kind can be successful. Packed with real stories from new and leading wholesalers and retailers, find out how you can make these vital relationships transparent, enjoyable… and profitable. Make it a date.

Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre and Melbourne Showgrounds

We will add the strategies below as we upload our new product ranges for the Christmas selling season:

• feature our best sellers

• make sure our search function is obvious and is set up to assist customers. Check the key words we use- are those our customers look for

• colour code all action buttons

• ensure we have a call to action on each page

• make sure all images are clickable

• contact details on each page to ensure customers can call if they need information or help

• adding steps and explanation to the purchasing process to make it easy and clear for the customer. To create a customer experience which is easy, informative and inspiring

• shipping and returns information made clearer

• gift wrapping and cards- we do it but it does not specify we do

• understanding what, why and where we get cart abandonment

• using Google Analytics so that we get information was can act on

• having clearly understood calls to action

These are just a few things we can do that should assist customers to purchase from us. As we will be using Google Analytics more efficiently we should be able to see if these changes make a difference!

It was an inspiring day, leaving me with a lot of work, but with confidence that the effort will be worth it.

For further information see

Martin Newman – Practicology.com/mnblog

The sale starts out like this – boxes and  boxes that all need to be opened up and merchandised.

Lots of fun and lots of work.

There are many bargains in these boxes

( Remember it is on-line as well use Coupon No 1524 for 15% discount)

It ends up looking gorgeous like this.

All welcome.

Why? Because we love Japanese design, food and paper products.

Our aim was to visit the Ambiente Tokyo Gift fair at Big Site and see as many shops – large and small, art spaces and galleries. We were very busy, a lot of it decoding the train system which we became very efficient.

What stood out for me was the range of quirky styles the Japanese express themselves with – from Goth to Alice in Wonderland. These sit along side mainstream global trends from various other cultures. The current summer fashion season is very floral, lots of lace and layered.

People were very polite, helpful and do not speak all the time on their mobile phones (such a relief unlike China where people seem to have at least 2 phones each) although the Japanese are doing all sorts of other things on them. There is no rubbish and they move people around in an amazing way- wish we could do that here.

Amanda having dinner with her nephew Jake who is teaching english in Tokyo.

It was a successful trip- we feel inspired, refreshed and well exercised.

SUNDAY

My friend’s wedding. The ritual of family, relationships and love.

MONDAY

Work. The chore of being economically viable while enjoying the process.

TUESDAY

Yoga class the necessity to keep fit while working long hours.

WEDNESDAY

Website up date. The constant chore to keep relevant.

THURSDAY

On-line breakfast. Ideas and experiences, the necessity to keep up.

FRIDAY

The Redroom Company Writers Festival event. Poems to Share that were shared by poets and audience. An inspiring experience. An essential activity.

SATURDAY

Missed TEDx but visited The Biennale on Cookatoo Island. Question. What is the meaning of art today? Has the role of the artist and their audience changed? The role between producer and customer has. What does this mean?

SUNDAY

Still getting over son’s 21^st last weekend! Relaxation and reflection. How do we make time?

Level 2 in the Queen Victoria Building.

Bristol & Brooks. Also have a store at Chifley Plaza, 2 Chifley Square Sydney NSW 2000

Browse or purchase on line www.bristolandbrooks.com.au

]]> http://blog.corbanblair.com.au/visit-bristol-brooks-wonderful-new-store-in-qvb/feed/ 0 http://blog.corbanblair.com.au/collaboration/ http://blog.corbanblair.com.au/collaboration/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:29:14 +0000 Gillian http://blog.corbanblair.com.au/?p=330 There is much enjoyment working with people in different fields to come up with something new and different that you are proud of. We have just launched a new product called Poems to Share. This was a collaboration with The Red Room Poetry Company.

Poems to Share is a pack of cards featuring poems by Australian poets of all generations. Included are lines of verse along with activities to explore the poems for more enjoyment. There are 40 colourful cards to choose from. They can be read silently or explored by using the activities on each card.

The cards could be used at home, work, schools, training or universities.

We have plans to create a similar set using the poems and artwork of school children. We are always interested in contributions from others. If you have and ideas please contact Gillian at Corban & Blair or Johanna at The Red Room Company www.redroomcompany.org

On a recent trip to Hong Kong & China to check on products we have made here, Amanda and I were yet again astounded by the size and scale of China. Checking samples with the production manager

This becomes obvious in the hours spent getting from place to place, exhaustion and lots of road and train travel. It is nothing to drive 2 hours through fast heavy traffic to go to a meeting and spend another 2 hours going in another direction to a half hour meeting etc. . . . . Stressful at times especially the traffic density but always interesting. There is so much to see and learn from this energetic nation.

Visiting the Guangzhou fabric Market to select fabric to print on

This season we changed from one supplier to another mid production. This was a big risk (it may have even been a bigger risk not to). Fortunately we decided to do this with the support of our Chinese business associate who managers our production in China. So far this decision seems to have been the right one.

View from the roof of the new factory where we are having our lifestyle products made

When reflecting on the challenges of manufacturing in China (or else where for that matter) it comes down to good relationships, trust, honesty, fairness, transparency, clear communication and having something in the transaction for everyone.

We are very grateful for the 3 major relationships with have developed in Hong Kong and China. We could not even attempt to work in this part of the world without the mutual understanding that has developed working with people who all share in the outcome.

Imagine five poems making a journey from five Australian ports; a poetic sea cargo carried by private, commercial and naval vessels. Imagine those five poems being opened up on board, and their readers jotting down an observation or illustration that happened as they read.

SEA THINGS has seen four new poems commissioned from poets in Hobart, Melbourne, Brisbane and Darwin, and from secondary school students in Perth, Darwin and Thursday Island, as the project charted a seafaring odyssey up the East and West coasts of Australia.
What Johanna and her team do is truly creative.

If you are interested in poetry or experiencing very high levels of creativity across many disciplines.

Click here to learn more

This week I went to EMSA an Email Marketing Summit at Darling harbour. Masses of people attended from around Australia and New Zealand. The sessions were thoughtful and well presented with lots of ideas and case studies. It was certainly worth attending.

Above is an example of an email we sent out recently. We will enhance the layout and words for future campaigns to hopefully capture a wider audience.

Current research and testing indicates that if you have genuine contacts, say who you are, where you are from, with a few words about what is in the email in a ‘clear” way, people will more often than not, open the email to read its contents- after that of course that are many more communication devices we all need to use.
For more information on Vision 6 and further summits see below
http://www.emsaustralia.com.au/2009/index.html