As I write this blog we're down to a couple of days before Christmas and it's gone mad here! I say mad now, however we've had a couple of truly crazy weeks, and it begs the question, recession what recession? Talking to some of my colleagues here in Jersey they too are having a bumper time; we're not sure if it's the last hurrah before 2009 and deep gloom or whether actually the press have really overblown the situation.
I believe the key is to be niche. Know your stuff and offer great quality, great value and great customer service. The people being hit appear to be the generalists, the stores who try to sell everything from waste bins to DVD's. Stuff that everybody and their auntie is selling and is found in every department store and internet site. You have to be different, you have to be original, you have to pay attention, it doesn't happen overnight and it can take years of doing the right thing.
It will be in my view those businesses who "stick to the knitting" who I believe will ride out this recession stronger and fitter and better placed than many of their over borrowed, over leveraged competitors.
So what's selling?, well right now Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is doing well at a cool £105.00 per kilo! A special gift for the ultimate coffee lover. Stove top espresso machines have also been flying out in far greater quantities than in previous years. The demand for upmarket chocolate has also been good. The Chocolate Alchemist has come good this year.
With regard to the higher priced machines, the traditional espresso machine has struggled in the £150 - £300 price bracket. The Jura bean to cup coffee machines after an initial flurry in early December have slowed; interestingly the the only Jura machine we are being asked for is the ENA5 which has become a real star in the home.
Nespresso has come in for real criticism in our store, having found them initially very convenient a number of people have given up on them because they find it a pain to keep having to order off the internet - they forget and then can't use the machine with anything else. The price of the capsules is high, and the waste factor to some is unacceptable. But hayho I'm sure Nespresso are still selling capsules in their millions.
What is also interesting is people's interest in trying different coffees. A few years ago there was little appetite to try something different, now if you offer great quality, customers are really up for experimenting. Again I think being a specialist coffee roaster really helps here, and in particular staff knowledge of the product. It must be a real challenge to sell Ethiopian Harrar off the supermarket shelf on the strength of what it says on the packet.
It's interesting that in an age where you can find everything out on the internet or on a shelf talker, people still prefer dealing with people, that's why truly great customer service will always win.
Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year
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