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Sillitoe Business Solutions offer advice and services on: Customer service, business solutions, advanced business intelligence, business models, business development, training, business thinking, business synergy, business advice, marketing advice.

WOOLWORTHS - CLOSE

So its the end of an era in the UK with the closure of the Woolworths stores, over 30,000 jobs have gone.  We in the UK grew up buying our first home wares, toys, sweets and our first records from this store! It's very sad.

What went wrong?.. The recession just finished this brand off, they have been experiencing difficulties for a few years now, the supermarkets stole their market and they failed to adapt. Zavvi who are also part of the group and who supplied their music side are in receivership.  MFI who were part of their trading group have been closed down (another national chain).

This is what happens when you don't LOVE your customers enough to anticipate their needs, wants and desires... We are at a loss to say how Woolworths could have adapted because they should have started changing their product lines around 15 years ago, I suspect that the other companies in the chain have been holding Woolworths up for them to have continued trading this long.

Zavvi, did inspire us, and we feel compelled to share our thoughts with you...

As many are buying music online now, the bomb has finally dropped, but all is not lost.  Imagine if you will, the perfect record store...

Many people have problems with uploading the music they buy, so in store helpers to do this for you, or teach, would be sensible.  Buy a CD, supply us your e-mail address and we will also e-mail this CD or a Track of your choice to your e-mail address (link to) for 1 x free download with full instructions on how to upload to your music player of choice.

Now we have your e-mail address we can do something smashing, we will e-mail you with tour dates for all the artists you have purchased (an take a cut) but book tickets (through a partner company) for you so you can see these bands live.

You are now a member of the Zavvi club, and are offered special discounts for buying on-line music and get special in the know information before others.  We e-mail you with offers, snippets, what your favourite artists have been doing this week, and we keep our stores as people like to touch and feel when shopping.

We also offer films on DVD, so again we can offer discounted downloads, sneak peeks, discounts on cinema tickets, as well as clubbing together with days out suppliers for ideal adults and children's days out (they are in the entertainments business, they need to learn to entertain).  Discounts on music teachers, equipment, fun days out (London eye, sky diving, rally cars etc).

Book holidays to visit the locations for your favourite films, and visit Disney Land, TV and Film Studios, get info on how to be a member of the audience of your favourite TV shows, how to be an extra in a film etc...  (have these people ever heard of customer care?!)

Just a few rants, (thoughts!).

Sarah Sillitoe 28/12/2008

VIRGIN ATLANTIC INJECT GLAMOUR

Its official we are now in a recession, I can tell you this, not because the press have said so (although they have!), I can tell because one of the most gifted business minds in the UK has just created a 1950's style TV advert showing how glamorous his airline is. 

Sorry! I hear you say...and your point is!?

If you have viewed my section on recession proofing your business, you will see the paragraph on thinking about the 1930's to 1940's and service, one way of encouraging people to buy, is to sell them a dream, and now is the time to sell them this.  If you have an expensive product (like airlines...well done Mr Branston), and you are already covering all the needs of your clients (fellow unconditional client lover, I have mutual respect for you!), then you need to give your product a inspirational, glamorous twist just has he has done, so people can aspire to the perfect luxury in a recession, sell people dreams of a better life...and you will win in business right now :)

Sarah Sillitoe 25/01/2009

Sillitoe Business Solutions offer advice and services on: Customer service, business solutions, advanced business intelligence, business models, business development, training, business thinking, business synergy, business advice, marketing advice.

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