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Author: Phil Wrzesinski

Black Friday Myths Revisited

The results are in. Here is how my 5 myths about Black Friday stood up to the weekend.

Myth #1 These are the best deals you’ll see.

As reported in Market Watch and the LA Times, the deals were all that drove Black Friday business in the big stores. Saturday traffic was way down across the board for these stores, which means what? More deals to come, and probably pretty soon.

Myth #2 This is the busiest day of the year.

The verdict is still out on this one, but just you wait. Not only will the last two Saturdays be the biggest days of the year, but this year they’ll be especially big. Why? People aren’t using credit cards so they’re waiting for cash to come in. People are doing more layaways, which show up in most accounting systems as sales when picked up. People are waiting for better deals. All that adds up to a huge last week. (And we’ll be ready.)

Myth #3 This is the day stores become profitable.

Nope, not this year. Too many steep discounts. Too little October/November traffic. One day, no matter how big, can’t make up for a couple of slow months that have been reported.

Myth #4 The earlier you open, the better you do.

Ask K-Mart how that’s working out for them.

Myth #5 Early hours are worth it.

Just ask the family of the trampled worker in the Long Island Wal-Mart if it was worth it. What a sad, sick story. One more reason why I would never want to open our store early.

Oh yeah, and for the record, how did we do? We opened at our regular time of 9:30am. We did not have any contrived door-buster specials, just our every day values and top-notch selection. Yeah, we offered free coffee, but we do that every year, and I doubt anyone came just for the Maxwell’s House Colombian Supreme.

And we set a record for busiest Thanksgiving Weekend ever.

While other stores – the ones that offered early hours and big deals – saw their Saturday business fall off, ours grew stronger all weekend long.

Hmmm… You think maybe there’s more to shopping than just big sales? We’ll explore that in the next post.

Happy December!

-Phil

Turn off the TV!

There is a movement afoot to stop toy companies from advertising their toys directly to the kids. Many parents have written letters on behalf of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood to the leading toy manufacturers asking them to stop running ads aimed directly at children.

Unfortunately, I believe their efforts will be about as successful as asking McDonald’s to stop putting special sauce on the Big Mac.

Why do toy manufacturers market to children? Because it works! And it works well. TV-advertised toys outsell their less-marketed brethren by astonishing rates. Without TV advertising for toys, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target and Toys R Us would probably get out of the toy business. (Hey, maybe banning ads is not a bad thing at all). The big stores only want toys with quick turnover. That’s why most of the toys found in the national chains are either licensed with some TV or movie character or heavily advertised first on TV and then in their Sunday ads.

Of course, nowhere in that equation is there room for discussion on whether the toy is actually good or not. Nowhere in the math does any of those mass merchants consider things like play value, creativity, or imagination. Nope, the only question they have is, “How fast will this move?” And if it’s on TV, the answer is fast enough.

Now, I believe it is fair of parents to be concerned about how these toy companies market to children. But asking them to change is pointless. If you don’t want the fatty foods of McDonald’s you eat elsewhere. The same is true with toys. If you don’t want your children bombarded with toy ads, TURN OFF THE TV.

Yes, it’s that simple. Be the parent, take charge, and limit your child’s exposure.

Some people say that all those ads just help children learn to deal with the marketing realities of this world. I’m not fully in that camp. I do believe that there is a learning process, but I also believe that we, as parents, must control that learning process. We do that by controlling the exposure. We do that by setting limits. We do that by being proactive and explaining to our children how advertising works.

That’s what my family has done these past 60 years while running a toy store. In fact, growing up we were taught that most TV-advertised toys were bad toys. The good toys didn’t need TV ads to sell. My cousin took this lesson to heart so much that one Christmas he complained saying, “Santa screwed up. He brought me some bad TV toys.”

If you are tired of hearing your kids yell, scream, beg and plead for the latest, hottest toy, don’t write a letter to the company. Just turn off the TV and go find a toy store that specializes in non-advertised, fun-laden, high play value toys – a toy store like Toy House and Baby Too or any of the hundreds of independent specialty toy stores around the country.

-Phil

Happy Black Friday?

Sometimes I wonder if we are taking Thursday off to celebrate Thanksgiving or the beginning of Christmas Shopping.

It seems that there is more talk about Black Friday in the news than the turkey celebrations on Thursday. In fact, the only time I see the word “Thanksgiving” is when they announce another store like K-Mart planning to be open that day.

Has it come to be that the thing for which we are most thankful is getting up at 3am to grab a doorbuster special?

I hate to be the mythbuster, but I’m going to let you in on some little retail secrets. My fellow retailers might not be happy that I’m sharing these. They might blackball me like those magicians that gave away their secrets on Fox TV. But here it goes…

Black Friday Myth #1: These are the best deals you will see this shopping season. Reality: Yes, there are some big bargains, but most of those were carefully orchestrated to make you think you are getting a bigger deal than you actually are. These “deals” are planned months in advance. The true deals are the “panic deals” that happen when stores panic because sales aren’t as strong as they hoped. Usually these start the week before Christmas. This year, they’ll start as early as December 1.

Black Friday Myth #2: This is the busiest day of the year. Reality: Although it is a busy shopping day, the two Saturdays before Christmas always outpace Black Friday in terms of actual dollars being spent. Don’t ever underestimate the power of the procrastinators.

Black Friday Myth #3: This is the day that all retailers get back to profitability. Reality: Some retailers won’t ever get back to being profitable this year. And with the price-slashing we are seeing, there may be some serious casualties after the dust settles. It’s hard to make a profit when you give everything away below cost.

Black Friday Myth #4: The earlier a business opens, the more business it will do. Reality: Where you shop has less to do with the hours, than with the products. If Kohl’s doesn’t have what you want, you won’t be there at midnight. This whole notion that K-Mart by being open Thursday, or some of the stores opening at 3am or even midnight will gain some big advantage over the competition is ridiculous. The stores that will have the best Black Fridays will be the stores with the best products, services and values. And service is hard to do when the staff is tired and grumpy at missing out on their own Thanksgiving festivities. Ever wonder why the stores that open the earliest have the highest staff turnover rate? I love my staff way too much to ever do something like that to them. We’ll open at our regular hours and do plenty of business without any gimmicks or stunts, just smart products, good values, and great service.

Speaking of early hours…

Black Friday Myth #5: The early hours are always worth it. Reality: If you like waiting in long lines, fighting huge crowds, getting pushed and shoved only to be one person too late to get the item you wanted, then more power to you. I like to calculate the cost of my time versus the price of an item.

I hope I haven’t burst anyone’s bubbles. It’s not like I’m trying to convince you that Santa Claus isn’t real. (He is real. Want proof ? Click here!) Despite what I have said above, I love Black Friday. It is a fun day filled with wonderful customers and experiences and, oh yeah, a whole lot of business. But there is so much more for which we should be thankful.

So as I tuck in for the night this Thanksgiving day, I will tip my hat to those of you who plan to confront the cold, blustery pre-dawn darkness to fight the coffee-starved crowds for deals, contrived or otherwise. Many of you brave soldiers tell me that it is the thrill of the conquest that drags you out of bed while others slumber peacefully. To you, I say go forth and conquer.

My staff and I will be well-rested and waiting here at the Toy House at 9:30am with a fresh pot of coffee brewing just for you.

Happy Black Friday and Thanksgiving, too!

-Phil

Happy America Unchained Day!

Austin, Texas started it with “Austin Unchained”, a day in which all Austinians were encouraged to “Keep Austin Weird” by shopping only in local stores for one day.

The American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) latched on to the concept and began promoting it nationwide.

Now America Unchained is happening all over, including right here in Jackson. Many downtown businesses are having events today to encourage you to Shop Local. But the question still remains…

Why should you shop local? What advantage does is bring you?

Here are five reasons why you should consider shopping local this Christmas season.

#1 Building Community: The casual encounters you enjoy at neighborhood businesses and the public spaces around them build relationships and local cohesiveness. They’re the ultimate social networking sites! Have you ever been to Jackson Coffee Company and didn’t see someone you knew?

#2 Economic Vitality: Each dollar you spend at a local independent business returns 3.5 times more money to our local economy than one spent at a chain—both a short and long-term solution to our local economy. Just a 10% shift in your buying habits from chain to local stores could have millions of dollars of impact on Jackson.

#3 Character: Why did you choose to live here? What keeps you? Independent businesses help give Jackson County its one-of-a-kind personality. Plus, the owners of these businesses are more rooted in the community, more involved in its growth, more passionate about what makes Jackson great.

#4 A Healthier Environment: Independent, community-serving businesses are people-sized. They consume less land, carry more locally-made products, and locate closer to residents—creating less traffic and pollution. With all the talk this election about energy, one of the easiest ways to go green is to shop local.

#5 Lower Taxes: Local businesses put less demand on our roads, sewers, and safety services than most chains and generate more tax revenue per sales dollar, helping keep your taxes lower. Again, another hot topic from this past election could easily be solved by shopping local.

And if those five reasons aren’t enough, go to http://www.jacksonlocalfirst.com/ to find out more.

Enjoy the freedom of becoming unchained!

Happy Shopping!

-Phil

Shop Local, Create Jobs

A new study in Grand Rapids confirms what the JXN Local First campaign has been saying. Shop local and you will CREATE JOBS.

According to Civic Economics, an economic research firm, just a 10% shift in shopping from national chains to local businesses would create 1600 jobs in Grand Rapids and an economic impact of $137 million. (see the whole story at http://www.retailers.com/news/retailers/08oct/mr1008shoplocally.html)

Often, I hear the complaint, “but Phil, shopping local is expensive.”

Let’s look at it another way.

If shifting your dollars from big chains to local stores creates jobs, then the opposite must be true. The more you spend at the national chains, the more jobs are lost. Now that would be expensive. (More unemployment, more welfare, more tax dollars used up, etc., etc.)

There is a high price to low cost – it’s called jobs. Your friends’ jobs, your family’s jobs, maybe even your own job.

Yet, by shopping local just one more time out of the next ten times you shop can make a significant impact on your local economy. If it can create 1600 jobs for Grand Rapids, what would it do for Jackson, or wherever you live?

Will it be more expensive? Maybe not. Many people tell me we are quite comparably priced on many items. I find the same is true with some of the other local businesses where I shop. More importantly, I find more unique items that make the gifts I give more special.

And as my previous post mentions, it isn’t about price – it’s about value.

Think about it next time you’re in the market for something. Give your local store a try and we’ll see if we can change this economy on our own. (For a list of JXN Local First members – go to http://www.jxnlocalfirst.com/)

-Phil

Election Getting You Down?

Relief is coming! In less than a week all will be much better. It will be safe to turn on the radio, open the newspaper, watch your favorite TV show.

Barring any Floridian fiascos, the election will be over next Tuesday night, and with it, all of those insipid election ads telling us what liars and crooks are running for office.

It’s amazing we can have any trust or faith in government because no matter who wins, the opponent just spent thousands, maybe millions of dollars telling us how bad is the person we elected. At least if it’s someone who got our vote we can say we elected our liar and crook.

The worst thing is the cumulative effect of all that negative advertising brings down the American psyche. We see it every time there is a major election campaign – sales go down in October as people lose faith in the country only to return in November as that faith is restored.

But wait, you say. What if my candidate doesn’t win? In the short term that won’t matter. Your life and my life will be pretty much the same on November 5th as November 3rd. The only thing that changes is the tone of the airwaves.

Remember that old saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”? Never underestimate the power of words.

In the meantime, keep the faith. Gas prices are down, the stock market is coming back, and kind words will soon return. We understand if you’re bunkering down until next Tuesday. Don’t worry. We’ll be here when you’re ready!

-Phil

Jackson Local First Website

It’s finally up! The website for Jackson Local First has gone live!

Yes, there are still a few more things we need to do, like add some pictures (send me any pictures you have of people shopping local and we’ll get them added) and update a few pages.

But, most importantly, it’s there and you can see it. And you can get a sense of what Jackson Local First is all about and why I would want to be involved.

Hey, I’m a lifelong Jacksonian. I love this town, despite its faults. And for every fault you name I can come up with something fantastic about Jackson. How many cities our size have a symphony? How many have a museum like Ella Sharp? Or a park system like ours?

Now, we just need to get the word out how shopping local strengthens our economy and helps us support such great institutions.

It’s important to know this election year that we don’t need to wait on Washington DC or Lansing to help our economy. We can do it ourselves when we support the family owned businesses in our own hometown.

And if you’re not from Jackson, that’s okay. Support the local businesses wherever you live and wherever you visit. They give more back to their communities than they take. And they make each community stronger and more fun to visit.

Check it out – http://www.jxnlocalfirst.com/

Phil

Strummin’ My 6-String
It was my favorite Christmas present of all time. I still have it. And I knew I was getting it all along.

December, 1985. My sister and I were both in college. She wanted a stereo for Christmas and Mom and Dad had no clue what to buy her. So they called me in for advice. And since I knew what Mom and Dad were spending on her, they turned to me and said, “What do you want?”

No hesitation. A guitar. Six shimmering strings, a shiny wood top, and a black case. I was gonna be a star.

I always had a fascination with guitars. In fact, I even tried to build one out of an old sheet of particle board. I measured it, drew it out on the board and began cutting. At eleven I just figured that once I cut out the body I could attach some strings and be good to go. Without a jigsaw, though, I never got very far. I think that board with the drawings and a few misplaced saw cuts still sits somewhere in my parents’ basement.

But then I started working summers at YMCA Storer Camps in Napoleon. Although I never saw it, there must be somewhere on the application where you check off “guitar player”. Almost everyone there knew how to play guitar… except me.

I wanted a guitar. And now I had one. Mom and Dad went to Playford Music and got a perfect starter guitar, an Eterna by Yamaha with a really high action that tore through my fingertips in record time while I adjusted to this new skill.

My college roommate was not nearly as excited as I was about my new guitar. With each new chord I tried to teach to my fingers, Kraig found renewed motivation to go the library to study. And even then, by the following summer I could barely play 3 chords.

Then I met Tim. Dr. Timothy Murnen, PhD, now a professor at Bowling Green, was just a summer camp counselor like me, with long hair, a love for the outdoors, and an ability to relate to kids. And just like me, he had a guitar. But he was doing something I had not even considered. Tim was writing his own songs. Songs I’ve never forgotten like “Broken Strings” – The day is long and your feet move on/And you’re never really ever gonna change your song/Broken hearts and broken dreams/You just got to live with your broken strings.

Man, I was blown away. Now I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my guitar. Write my own music. And I did.

Over the next few years I wrote 40 or 50 songs, although I use that word loosely. With maybe two or three exceptions, none of that early work was approved for human consumption. But when I joined a contemporary Christian music group at the First Presbyterian Church of Jackson in ’93 I found a whole new outlet for my writing. Another 40 to 50 songs later I have a few more edible tunes.

Are you ready to hear them?

Yes, I’m going public. I’m going on the stage live at Nomad Bookhouse on Friday, August 29th at 7pm with my guitar, harmonicas and maybe a friend or two.

Some people ask what style of music I play. Is “Campfire” a style? You can call it folk, country, old time rock n roll, blues, Christian, or whatever you want. I promise that there will be songs to make you laugh, songs to make you think, songs to make you tap your toes, and songs to make you want to sing along. And when I hit the wrong note or two along the way maybe even a song to make you cry. I’m going to play a mix of Christian and secular originals with a few covers thrown in for good measure.

Will you dare to join me?

See you Friday, August 29th 7pm at Nomad!

Happy Strumming!

Phil Wrzesinski

PS I’ve told you my favorite present. Now I want hear about yours. Tell me the story behind your favorite gift and if I get enough responses I’ll put them in an upcoming forum.