We have taken some time to look carefully at the performance of our Mother’s Day gifts and the category this year compared to last to be sure of the results. We achieved year on year sales growth of more than 200% off an already good base. This year we offered more than the traditional, sourcing some very cool left-field Mother’s Day gift items. It worked. The sales results are stunning.
What is important to note here is that we grew gift sales without impacting traditional newsagency product sales. Through the Mother’s day season, stationery, magazines and other more traditional product categories fared well, delivering excellent growth.
While newsagents need to broaden the range of products sold and do so beyond the traditional newsagency margin and beyond targeting the traditional newsagency shopper, we also need to respect the welded-on traffic we have for traditional items and ensure that we do not turn this traffic away.
While growing gift sales 200%, we also grew magazines through the Mother’s Day season by well over 10% thanks to a concerted effort to pitch magazines as Mother’s Day gifts.
Growth from each season results in return business as shoppers attracted for the first time come back beyond the season now they have a feel for what we sell.
Mark, I assume you have allowed for MD being 1 week earlier last year. Direct year on year, our gifts are up 250%. MD on MD they are up, but not much.
Yes, did that. The change in product mix for us is the key.