David's AW News: THINK BIG (no AI)

Greetings from Spain

It's a little chilly here but pretty damn cold in the UK and the poor guys in the Sheffield warehouse, (which is too big to heat), are AW Heros working under extreme conditions. Even so they are managing the current busy patch very well and getting your orders out in a timely fashion. Well done guys and gals.

Last week I was delivering a personal New Year message, basically a little rant and reality check: If you missed it you can catch up here.

I mentioned TEMU and SHEIN undermining the gift trade in general, and it seemed to have struck a chord, quite a few people messaged me about that. More ideas on how to fight that below.

And it is time to think BIG, think POSITIVE and think OUTSIDE the BOX.. 

But first I have to mention that we have been short-listed for Gift of the Year in three categories..Very exciting for our talented designers. We are crossing our fingers I definitely think all three should win.. but then I might be a tad biased!  In 2024 - our HOP HARE brand has been making leaps and bounds.. and Sandra has been very busy bringing you more.. watch this space coming soon.

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So Let's Think Positive without asking AI - because everyone else is doing that and we are all going to end up doing the same things!

My thoughts (without consulting Mr AI) are like this..

1.  Be Special. Become an expert in a particular specialist area, because humans trust experts (Doctors, Lawyers, Trump etc) - at least if you have a passion or interest and can communicate enthusiasm, whatever the qualification (eg. I have been doing X for X years) then you can establish credibility. Blogs, YouTube, Social Media.. linked to your website. Specialist display in your Store, a corner dedicated to Nepal and Singing bowls and decorated with prayer flags)  Areas of expertise that people love and you can find heaps of products for in 2025 @ AW are: A. Aromatics (Eg. Essential oils, Scented Candles, Home Fragrance)   B. Esoterics (Incense, Singing Bowls, Gemstones, Zodiac things) C. Artisan & Home (Eg Coconut Wind-chimes, Teak Bowls, Home Decor) all made by real artisans not in faceless factories. 

2. Don't Compete on Price. Don't sell things that people can buy on TEMU, don't even try to compete. You can leave the bottom of the market to bottom feeders, slugs, snakes and rats.. You need to rise above that to find ethical, aromatic and interesting products with authenticity and style. At the end of the day, you have to find the RIGHT product for your store and your type of customer. Remember NEW IN STOCK  and ON SALE are two motivating signs in a store.. but only one has a much healthier profit margin for your store. One more related thing.. at AW we DON'T sell retail, we are pure B2B we support our trading partners like you not undermine them. When you see AW products on Amazon, it's not from us. It's someone like you buying and selling, or using our Dropshipping service. 

which brings me on to..

3. The 80/20 Rule. It's a well known fact (ask AI) that 80% of your profit will come from 20% of your products.. and holds true for almost any business. And that 20% of best sellers you need it to be a healthy margin product.. especially these days with hefty overheads to carry.   It's your mission (you know this but I'm just reminding you) to seek out and discover the 20% products that sell 80% of sales. They can be vastly different for different giftware traders.. What works like magic for one might fail for another.. but you're the one with a vision (and enthusiasm) for your store or online presence. Don't give up, keep searching.. actually at AW we have many hidden gems.. I can see product families that not many people stock, but those that do repeat buy big regularly. But don't fanny around trying a bit of this or that to try and find your golden ticket.. Go BIG or go home. It's why at AW we have bulk discounts and starters to encourage traders to make a bit of a flash. 

4. Think Big. Rinse and Repeat. GROW LIKE CRAZY.. once you find your winning formula.. don't be scared to open more outlets.  Popup shops, markets, tourist hot zones.. the same 80/20 Rule applies.. but unless you open 5 stores you may not find your goldmine - plus more than 5 stores you can begin to think outside the box and have middle management to do the day to day work - giving you time to create - and go even bigger faster.  Need help expanding - Drop us a line in the chat box, ask for a Key Account manager.. We can help with deals on starters and shopfitting, even finance with BNPL options.

5. USE AI..  Haha I know I just told you not to because if you follow AI advice like everyone else - you are basically a Sheep. (BTW.. see our cute sheep). But a little advanced, carefully deployed  AI to aid your marketing, customer service or design can save you time.. Just don't use it instead of your brain. Unless you like being a sheep of course. Baa. 

So our resolution at AW in 2025 - is to bring you all of the above.  I'm especially keen to bring our regular customers brilliant deals - NO BRAINER DEALS. This year starting now, we are working hard to bring you bigger Gold Reward discounts.. like the 25% off Satya Incense. Fast selling, an excellent product and very good retailer margin. 

So wishing you a fantastic 2025 trading year! 

I'm off shortly travelling to the next place. Working hard to make AW your preferred Giftware partner.

Take care.

David