All about our once off specials. And we want your feedback!
Around 6 years ago an unknown new customer arrived at the nursery and asked was it ok fro a home gardener to purchase our wholesale products,in particular our 20 Cym tray at 50% off retail. Yes that was fine.
A week later she returned for another. Then 2 weeks after that she returned and asked to buy 10 trays our choice. I asked did she have a nursery or was she selling then ar a market.
She looked worried, and then picking up on that I appoligised and said it was none of my business.
This went on for months and she became one of our largest wholesalers.
Then! My son mentioned that someone was making a killing WITH our orchids on a thing called Ebay.
Never heard of it i said.
I had a look and the customer was selling orchids bought from us for $4.40 for a whopping $34 and getting it!
Well that was it,Im into this lerk!
For 6 years we made a killing selling things for far more than you could buy them anytime at our website
Why bid, and re bid, and slug it out and then wait up to 10 days for the auction to finish when the same items were at our website for purchase cheaper anytime. I just didnt understand it. It must be the thrill of the chase.
But recently Ebay have killed the golden goose! First they pushed and promoted 'Buy It Now' over the auctions. So you could "win" the item instead of bidding.
Whats the point when you have a website that does just that?
Up went the fees again and down went the buy it now fees to get you to take up an Ebay Shop. Most of my competitors went that way.
Then, more recently they have promoted the major national and multi national stores with 10/20% off sales at those stores.
Thats not why I used ebay.
So what to do! As always there is another way.
We sucked it up and walked away from ebay.
It hurt finicially for a few months. Then the idea of daily once off specials came about and off we went.
AS with anything new it takes a while for our customers to adapt to new ways .
Now after 4 months its all a lot of fun. Very frustrating for some with only 1 offered and some very very fast typers out there.
So now we have settled in and tweeked it to occure at the same time so the retirees dont get all the specials. But its here we need you advise
Just what time is best? WE need continuity of work, so once a week is no good.
5 seems easy for most as before tea for mums, and retirees its beer o clock
One change thats starts today is a 1 minute spacing between sales
Please email via this blog with a comment as to when should we list them
I have also considered speciosum sunday and Sarcochilus and Cymbidium Saturday
Hi Wayne,
Best you put plants on for those who want to compete for them at 5pm, but also put plenty (as many) on at random times during the day (or night) for everyone else who may by chance pick up a great plant from you – when we drop into your website to check a blog or look at what’s on sale. I know this may not be as convenient for you – but you will miss a lot of customers (like me) just doing the 5pm thing.
ps Sorry to hear about your, Steve and other’s frost damage down there. I hope that is the end of it for this winter.