Completely off topic, I love the look of this shop at Forest Hill Chase. See for yourself:
From the outset it is visually appealing to its target market. Girls light up when they see it. Shopping looks like fun, certainly not a chore.
In newsagencies we tend to focus on shopping being a chore. The newsagency of the future has to be, in part at least, a pop princess type business, something completely fresh and appealing. yes, it will date. But, hey, good retail is about fashion.
You are right about Pop Princess and its warmth. After reading much about your Sophie Randall stores, I visited the Epping Plaza outlet at the weekend … and was surprised that lacked any such warmth. The store looked so … temporary. No displays above the eyeline. If retail is about theatre, unfortunately the SR store at Epping is a no show. I also observed many browsers (all women), but few sales. The only branding was a logo at the door, and at the counter, with a ‘Sophie x x’ message on the window. Conversely, another similar store at the Plaza was ‘warm’ merchandised, packed with paying customers, and doing much better business. Physician, heal thyself?
Thanks Anon. Sophie Randall at Epping Plaza was opened just before Christmas. The fit was not complete and then the tradesman break came. Maybe instead of hiding behind a fake email address you could have made contact and I could have provided the back story. The shop is tracking ahead of budget.
sounds like anon can talk the talk but cant walk the walk, otherwise why hide?
My name is Mark, but you have chosen to listed me as ‘Anon’. I can talk, and I can walk. I prefer anonymity for sound reasons. It is a shame that a thread of constructive criticism has been detoured by a focus on my identity. It sounds as if criticism is not actually welcomed here. I would have thought the subject is about the Sophie Randall store assessment, not some one-to-one “back story”. My comments stand – the store lacked warmth. Christmas was 42 days together (11.5 per cent of a business year) … plenty of time to get a shop ready.
You say your name in Mark yet your email address in Anon. Maybe with a genuine email address your comments can be taken to be more than carping. If your comments were not welcome then I would have deleted them.
I don’t know if you’ve opened a business – it’s a rush. We opened three in quick succession. We bought another. With the purchase and one opening they were rushed jobs. No excuses.
Given the circumstances I’m happy with where we are at. The Sophie model is developing well.
Maybe you’d care to meet and I can show you our plans. Or maybe you can visit Epping secretly again and see it evolve.
Mark Fletcher
PS. This post is about Pop Princess and newsagents. You diverted it to a bitch about other things. I’m not sure why.
Your blog is full of criticisms. Yet with the slightest constructive criticism, you appear very touchy. You seem to want very much to criticise me personally, which is telling.
If I was touchy I’d pull the comments. I don;t pull comments because I’m open to comment. By hiding behind a false email address you deny the reader of knowing any back story. You also reject my explanation. Further, you took a post on one topic and made it about something unrelated. Be sure enough of your comments to out yourself and bring the debate into a public forum. The Sophie business is doing very well. If you want to review the operation, why not once we officially open the Epping store – that’s another month away, for good reason.
Goodness Mark, getting a bit tetchy and defensive, aren’t you? I didn’t divert a topic – I compared Pop Princess to your Soiphie Randall. You discount the validity of my comments because I deliberately choose anonymity. It is not about me. Our chat is about YOU being challenged for a change. And you’re showing that you can bowl, can’t bat.
By the way, how does a customer know the difference between an opening and an official opening? An under-merchandised or unfinished store is simply that. Yes, I do challenge your explanation. I sense you are making excuses for a store that doesn’t look up-to-speed … something about which you criticise other businesses. I have no desire to continue this humdrum, we have seen what you are like under a teeny bit of pressure. Our correspondence is now closed.
No worries. I’d encourage newsagents back to the original post about pop princess. Visit the shop at Forest Hill. You’ll see what I mean. Oh, when you are there, go two doors down and check our Sophie – it’s our first location and has officially opened.
i think your shop is the best but i think you should have anouther coulor as well like pink and blue or pink and red something like that because i am not a big fan of pink i like blue way better but i love your shop.
bye..
hey hang on a minute – I though I was anon – this is a blatant misuse of my non-disclosed identity but it sure warms the heart to see another anon try to explain to you Mr Fletcher that the identity of blog posters is irrelevant to the core principal of commenting on-line – it doesn’t matter who or what you are or what you do for a living; to have constructive criticism is healthy but you insist on wearing your heart on your sleeve and trying to scratch the eyes out of anyone who does
May God protect us all
They’re Anon you’re anon. It is relevant because it’s common courtesy. I’ll explain it in depth with you on my next trip down to Brisbane.
I have to agree with anon here. Mark, just because someone chooses not to post their name for reasons that are their business, it doesn’t make the opinion/view of that person any less valid than someone who names themselves.
The most important thing is the issue at hand, not who posted it and certainly not if they choose not to reveal their name which is totally irrelevant. To try and dismiss one’s point solely because of that reason is just plain ridiculous.
I couldn’t care less what the persons name is or if they choose to use it or not. If they make a good point then that’s all that matters whether their name is Peter, anon or Gordon Ramsay!
To base a person’s worth or validity to an argument on what they call themselves only comes across as deflecting attention from the real issue because you don’t have a valid argument yourself, hence you avoid answering the nameless ones point of view.
In my opinion if someone doesn’t want to reveal their name then that should be respected, not ridiculed no matter how much you might disagree with what they’re saying.
Thank God,
commonsense at last
Michael
you haven’t responded to Dean’s post yet
anon shouldn’t you not be using ppl’s names
anon
No need to, now are you the anon that commented at the top? I need to know who I’m talking to. Or why don’t we all just go by anon? Is anon on your name badge?
Anon’s are just stirrers that is why a person using it gets less respect, and not just on this blog.
I was more directing my post at Mark. I was also accused of using an alias by him when it was in fact my wife Noelle who surprise surprise uses the same computer as me at work. Who woulda thunk it!
As she was opposing Mark he couldn’t have been quicker to let people know that i/she was allegedly posting under 2 names and trying to discredit her/my argument and totally dismissing and skirting around the issue at hand by totally ignoring it.
I’ve seen he’s also done that to other people on here as well which just makes you wonder how many other times he’s wrongly accused others of using other names when it was in fact different people using the same computer.
Michael , he /she goes by plenty of names it uses my name your name anyones name barr his own as he is just looking for 4 a stir .I am sure he will comment with another name next ,sometimes you can just sit back and have a laugh at him or her but after a while it just gets to much so people ignor him and that when he starts up his own little chats with himself using other names .
I believe it’s a “she” Shaun.
I don’t see what Mark does wrong to cop the flack, I don’t agree with everything he says but I don’t go attacking him under a hidden name.
you’re such a lapdog Michael
anon,
Since you are not contributing to discussions of interest to newsagents I suggest you find somewhere else to stalk.
A blog is a conversation. Conversations involve people who are prepared to stand by what they say. In your case even your email address in fake. This can only be because you don’t wish to stand by what you write.
There are many important topics raise here.
Mark
hey chill out Mark. Anon’s remarks are quite funny at times and lighten up the whole blog site.
I did notice you never ridicule or challenge the integrity/identity of the person using the name VicAnon so the whole childish thing about using names is just that- childish – build a bridge and get over it
Well, this shop has recently closed down. Quite enjoyable reading the comments here!