Orling & Wu: A Gastown Beauty

I was in Vancouver yesterday. It was a nice afternoon, and I was early for my class. I rode the Canada Line all the way to Waterfront Station, and decided to take a walk down Water Street. I have lived in the Lower Mainland for more than 35 years now. I have been to Gastown dozens of times. Some things never seem to change. The store that sells Cowichan Sweaters is still there. So is the place that sells small bottles of real maple syrup, and Inuit soap stone carvings. The tourists are still there. Yesterday afternoon people were still posing in front of the famous steam clock, and others were seriously studying those cartoon maps that tell you where the Art Gallery and the Aquarium is. Lately, I have been reading about some new additions to Gastown's Retail Scene. I kept walking, and soon I came across a pretty little building, with a freshly painted facade, and a window display that caused me to jaywalk across the street to have a better look. I had arrived at Orling & Wu.

The store was simply stunning. The feeling was calm, the colours subtle, and the stock was arranged and edited with great care and attention to detail. I always know I am in an perfectly edited space, when I have to look at EVERYTHING. The way that the items were displayed allowed my eye to see not only the grouping, but each individual item. I think one of the most common mistakes people make when merchandising, is not allowing enough space between items. One of the other elements that made the space work so well, was the use of white. It allowed the other colours and prints to POP...all without causing visual fatigue. I also found the variety of merchandise to be refreshing. The items were unique, without being too precious. These were things you would want to have for yourself, or gift to someone else. The scale of the store was grand, but the mixture of large and small items, as well as large and smaller fixtures made the space feel perfectly proportioned. I also noticed the lighting. The front entrance wall was nearly all windows, but Water Street is like a loft apartment, bit of a tunnel. With tall buildings directly across the street,the quantity and quality of natural light would most certainly need to be addressed. It seemed that the light in the store was very soft. I was there around 5 pm, on a fairly clear Vancouver day. I can imagine on a cloudy or rainy day, that the light would softly radiate out of the front windows to attract patrons, as well as illuminating the merchandise within.

As I left the store, it was as if I had left the quiet contemplation of a meditative space, and was immediately deposited back to the car honking, gritty reality that is modern day Gastown. As I walked past another 4 or 5 spaces currently under development on the same block, I know that Orling & Wu has without a doubt raised the bar for new Retail in Vancouver.

Orling & Wu
28 Water Street
Vancouver, BC Canada
V6B 1A4
t- 604-568-6718 f- 604-568-6719
www.orlingandwu.com
info@orlingandwu.com

Sales,Sales,Sales, and MORE Sales!!

Many retailers I know say they just don't DO sales. In other words, they feel that their product sells just fine at regular price. To them, the idea of putting merchandise on sale gives their customers the impression that they are a 'discount' retailer. Perhaps they don't want it to appear that they may have made a mistake while doing their buying. What merchant hasn't experienced purchasing a single item, or a whole line, that for whatever reason, simply didn't sell. I believe that it is simply impossible to have every item in your store sell through at regular retail ALL THE TIME! What about the item that had an 80% checkout at regular price. A month goes by, you still have 2 pieces left, and unfortunately you are no longer able to fill that item. There the poor thing sits...only 2 of them, not matching anything else, taking up valuable space in your store. You could hang onto it, and hope that in another few weeks or a few months, someone will buy it. I sometimes need to remind the retailers that I work with that their store is NOT A MUSEUM!! The business is not in the business of housing orphaned items for long stretches of time. EVERYTHING has a best before date, whether it be fashion, or food items, or ANYTHING. If you don't think that your customers notice items on your shelves, or on your hangers that have been there way too long...especially if they are regular customers, I guarantee you, they do. In my opinion, you can fight the inevitable, and only reduce the price of your merchandise when you bank balance dips below an acceptable level...or you can EMBRACE the idea of SALE by planning your markdowns.

Each item in your store represents a dollar value. You know what you paid for it, and when you paid for it. You should know when you want it out of your store to make room for new merchandise. I don't think any merchant should be upset with selling 8 out of 10 items before the cheque clears the bank! If you decide when the items arrive, what price you would be willing to reduce that item to, to ensure that it exits your store in no longer than 60 days...I know that you will be rewarded with a cleaner store and a larger bank balance.

Take 15 minutes every week and have a look around your business. Find the old timers, and make a plan to move them out. Dedicate a space, or find a creative, fun way to tell your customers that you have something that is a real DEAL!

I know that you don't want your business to be stuck in the past. Getting rid of the orphans will allow you to have more cash for the future best sellers! The Season is changing...are you?

6th Anniversary open house at Well Seasoned

I was invited to an open house last night at Well Seasoned, a gourmet food store in Langley. The event went from 6:30 to 8:30, but when my husband texted me to let me know that there had been ANOTHER car accident in the Massey Tunnel...it was a miracle I made it at all! I managed to arrive around 7pm, and it looked like the event was in full swing. The parking lot was set up with 6 or 8 tents, and I could smell delicious food the minute I got out of my car. There were already at least 50 people milling around, clearly enjoying themselves. Some calling out to owner Angie Quaale, and others looking more like first timers. There were samples of everything from chicken wings rubbed with a secret recipe of spices, from The House of Q, to a new flavour of cracker from local success story Gone Crackers, owned by Heather Nicol, to turkey sausage bites courtesy of JD Farms. There was also a local winery supplying tastings, Township 7, as well as a local craft brewery showing off it's latest offering courtesy of Central City Brew Pub.

When I had my store, customer evenings were part of appreciating my customers, and mine always featured some sort of fashion showing, as well as drinks and snacks. The evening was always designed to showcase new product, as well as a Thank You, to my regular customers, for, well, being my customers. I believe that too many retailers think that the cost of putting on these events does not pay off. I really admire the innovative way that Well Seasoned pulled this evening together. The sampling was a way to showcase suppliers, but not at a huge cost to the business hosting the evening. How often do you, as a business owner ASK a supplier to help you out with a special event, through something like a door prize, or in this case, setting up a tent, providing tasting, and meeting some of the customers that continue to purchase your products from YOUR CUSTOMER...in this case, Well Seasoned? I believe that every business, wholesaler, or retailer, need to do this kind of customer research. In every case, I know that they come away with at least one comment that leads to a fine tuning, or outright change in the way they purchase, or even do business.

I saw a lot of happy people at this event...and better yet, I saw a line up at the cash register that went on for the hour and a half that I was there. I heard people joking about how they had just come out to support Angie, and to say hi...but for the most part, they were struggling to juggle multiple bags of just purchased product. I heard one customer say, that after having a look around with a friend,that they had both decided to sign up for ANOTHER cooking class. In this economy, the need to connect with the people who are key to your business's success such as suppliers, business neighbours, and especially customers, is more important than ever. Well Seasoned understands that, and it shows.

The next big event for Well Seasoned is Barbeque on the Bypass, on Sunday September 19th. If last night's attendance, and enthusiasm is any indication of things to come, my advice is to get there early! Check the website for more details. www.wellseasoned.ca