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 Friday
Facts - Archives -
Month
of November 2003
Current
Week
November 26, 2003
CRMA Holiday Survey, Happy Thanksgiving!
Holiday Survey
· Attached is the holiday survey we promised you would receive in our last newsletter.
· We will use the information you provide us to better lobby for your interests at the state capitol and to provide the media with accurate information on the success of Connecticut retailers in general for the holiday season.
· Please complete the survey and return it to us
at your earliest convenience; email: crma@crmaonline.com, fax: 860-493-7476,
or you can give us a call at 860-527-1044.
CRMA Closed for Thanksgiving
· CRMA offices will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday from November 27th thru the 30th and will reopen on December 1st.
· We will return email and voice mail messages as soon as possible on December 1st.
We would like to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving and a prosperous weekend!
November 21, 2003
Holiday Season Ready to Blast Off. Three Quick Questions with Bob Kaufman. State Capitol Update. Workforce Development. Retail News and Notes.
· Most of you, we are sure, are already in full swing with holiday season plans and promotions, but for members of the public and the press the holiday season begins in earnest with Thanksgiving.
· Most economist and members are predicating a solid holiday season with consumer confidence up and other signs that the economy seems to be revving up.
· To that end, we hope that all of you enjoy a strong season. We understand that the nature of retail has changed and that the holiday season does not make or break retailers like it use to, but – it is still awfully important.
· For CRMA, the holiday season means calls from the press on how you all are doing. So, we need a little help. We will be sending all of you a holiday survey to help us as we respond to the holiday shopping season calls from the press.
· When you receive this survey, which we promise will be short, if you could return it to us ASAP, we would greatly appreciate it.
· Again, good luck to all of our members. We are proud to tell the public and the press, that they need not go further than the retailers in CT. to find everything they need for the holiday season.
Three quick questions
· We are back with another edition of our three quick questions segment. This week we asked Bob
Kaufaman, of Bob’s Discount Furniture to join us. Bob’s Discount Furniture was CRMA’s 2003 Retailer of Year and is one of the fastest growing retailers in the nation.
FF: Hello Bob, and thank you for joining us this week. What has been the key to your impressive growth?
BK: Simply, good people. Without good people you have nothing
FF: Your advertising is certainly unique and has help with your growth, how did that get developed?
BK: Trial and error. There was no real master plan. If you told me that “Come on down” would be so successful, and maybe even on my tombstone, than I would have laughed at you. But we tried to focus on the merchandise and price to show value to our customers and it all sort of flowed together.
FF: What do you see as the biggest challenge facing not just retailers, but the state of CT. today?
BK: One of the biggest ones is how we deal with transportation issues. Transportation gridlock is a very difficult problem we need to overcome. We have had to adjust completely our approach to delivery to customers in CT, particularly those in Fairfield County because of the gridlock problem.
State Capitol news and notes
· We I guess we were wrong. In our last Friday Facts, we reported that the General Assembly would go into special session to deal with some leftover budget issues. But they have not and are not expected to before the end of the year. We think.
· We have come to learn that it is very dangerous to predict what the legislature is going to do, so they may still go back in before the year is out, but it does appear to be a long shot at best.
· Other news from the capitol. State budget deficit figures are coming in and it is not as bad as some may have thought.
· Last week two reports were released that peg the state budget as running a deficit for the budget that began on July 1, 2003.
· The Comptroller’s office says the deficits is in the $2 million range, while the Legislature’s Office of Fiscal Analysis thinks the deficit is more in the $38 million range.
· Meanwhile, the Governor’s office, or shall we say the Office of Policy and Management has not said anything just yet, other than they think the number is closer to the OFA’s than the Comptroller's.
Workforce Development
· New initiatives are on the horizon for CRMA's Charitable and Educational Foundation. We are piloting an internship program we intend to make a national model. This program is a great chance to mentor a young adult and share your expertise in your field.
· CRMA will find, pre-train and refer interns to your company. Pre-training will be in customer service, sales, and workplace etiquette.
· Interns will be placed in “behind the scene” type jobs and departments in retailing, for example accounting, distribution, human resources, loss prevention, government affairs, marketing, etc.
· Please contact Michele Mesek at michele@crmaonline.com or 860-527-1044, if you are interested in mentoring a young adult by hosting an intern twice per year.
Retail News and Notes
· FDA considers label changes
As part of its increasing focus on obesity-related matters, the FDA is considering altering labeling requirements to include more information helpful to consumers trying to control their weight. Some argue listed serving sizes are out of line with how much people eat, leaving many consumers confused about the nutritional content of their meals. The Washington Post (11/20),
· The Oprah effect hits whoopie pies
A week after Isamax Snacks' whoopie pies were featured on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," the Maine company reports orders are skyrocketing. The snack was featured as an inexpensive gift. Portland Press Herald (Maine) (11/20)
· Inside holiday retail myths
While mall shoppers often joke that "Christmas comes earlier every year," a plethora of anecdotal evidence suggests that malls and department stores have been setting up as early as September for years, since the decorating process can take weeks. Also, the day after Thanksgiving is not the biggest shopping day of the year. The Washington Post (11/9)
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