GM sales tanking. This company had better start listening to its customers. Emphasis on basics does not translate into higher sales. Our customers hate it!!
16 replies (most recent on top)
Follett's sourcing department has been a disaster for the last 20 years. I could go on and on with specifics but then I would be outed!
Agreed with last post. My planner used to call me at least once a week, now she's gone and I have been passed around for a month. I don't get anything I ask for, just the same old stuff. My sales are slightly up, which is good based on what I hear, as most in my region are down. I'm a mid level school, not huge. I have been told no for every single thing I ask for at the request of the president, and told many programs are test or only for large volume schools. I get basics only plus the special buys - maybe some new items but no designer stuff for sure. Once they told me my order was lost and didn't get to vendor, buyer left and they were checking on everything. So it sounds like a crazy place too with not enough people to do basic jobs. I never get any response from planners or field assistants anymore.
Planners can barely keep their heads above water. There is no planning going on, they don't care about individual stores. Everything bought at the top level now and it's all the same stuff. Yea, maybe you are the lucky one, but go count and see how many planners are actually left in GM. In the last four months, over ten people have left sourcing because they were overworked and underpaid, just like the rest of you. Good talent is leaving, and no one with any sense would take a buying job at Follett. If you really think that your planner is agonizing over an individual sales plan for your store, think again. There simply aren't enough of them to do the tune of planning that was available four years ago.
"The only way the store referenced below is up $40K in GM sales in one month is if they had a Spring Football game that drew record crowds, which of course has nothing to do with the planners.
Go Dawgs?"
"If that store carries Peter Milar, then it's one of about a dozen or less. ND, Stanford, Florida, FSU, UGA to name a few. Yup - a big football program will help sales. What about the other 1000 stores?"
You're both wrong. It does have to do with planners. I tell them what my customer wants, they give it to me. No big spring football game here. A dozen or less? That can't be right. No big football program here, and less than $2M in volume and we are expanding better men's. Try again with the excuses.
Funny thing already sold several of the new "Harry Potter" tees. Just goes to show you students want stupid crap not the nice imprinted overpriced clothing. On a more serious note book sales are still awful
due to extremely low summer enrollment and what they call include ed classes. From what I hear students hate the include ed and would much rather have a real book. DLC offering low cost print option for 1 cent or $20.50 doesn't make financial sense, cost more to print the low cost option than what is recouped.
I barely even get Champion basics!
If that store carries Peter Milar, then it's one of about a dozen or less. ND, Stanford, Florida, FSU, UGA to name a few. Yup - a big football program will help sales. What about the other 1000 stores?
The only way the store referenced below is up $40K in GM sales in one month is if they had a Spring Football game that drew record crowds, which of course has nothing to do with the planners.
Go Dawgs?
And BTW - students do want cheaper items. They're not big spenders - not sure what land you're living in. I sell out of ALL notebooks every rush. Five Star, 99 cent, etc. The stuff that doesn't sell is the nicer imprinted stuff. They don't want it. They want what will get the job done at the best price.
I would LOVE to know where you SM's are and who your uppers and planners are. Everything all of these responses have stated is not true. You're either not asking for what you want or what your customers want, not pushing it to the right people, or not complaining enough. My GM is great - UA, Nike, Columbia, Peter Milar and so on and so forth. My GM sales are already up $40k in ONE MONTH. You're not trying hard enough. Yeah the company has taken a sh-- on a lot of us, and you're all just giving up. Stop complaining on here, complain to the right people. If that doesn't work, go higher. Get done what needs to be done. We HAVE to step up and show them that we know what we are doing, and we know what is good in our stores. It's working for me so you can't tell me that it can't be done.
Exactly.... our customers walk in, say "nothing new", and walk right back out.
Let's face it, sourcing not the same since CP left. He was replaced by a Sears ex, who had no idea of the type of market she was dealing with. But she is great at saying yes to the Don, so as a result, all of the buys now reflect his excellent taste. Sox, notebooks, cheap tees and hoodies - that'll save us. They got rid of the people who knew the business and had the contacts. CW is a heartbeat away from retirement, so who is left to drive the business? Men's buyer doesn't have a clue, and the amount most stores sell of women's product isn't enough to save anyone's sales. None, I don't see any sales growth coming from GM anytime soon.
Follett needs to return the stores to their institutions. If a college doesn't have the smarts to run a bookstore, perhaps they ought to return some of that tuition money.
I think that's already been tried! Listen to the stores, we know what the customer wants. And it's not cheap t shirts and 99 cent note books. Neebo tried that and how did that work out? We are not a Target store or Kmart. It's embarrassing when customers come in, especially alumni, and they walk out because they do not want cheap, generic crewnecks and tees. The polo shirts are ridiculous. Chintzy. I do believe you have to spend money, to make money. Not buy failing businesses. Humph...what do I know? I'm only the boots on the ground.
The royalty in the ivory tower don't mingle with the unwashed masses. The days of the Dick Litzsingers and Charles Folletts are over. You will buy what our focus groups tell you to buy!
Follett needs to listen to the employees first. We hear and see what the customers want and don't want.
Better yet they should spend some time at the stores for the real picture. Reports and numbers don't tell the complete story.