The Framers Forum

We use Enesco for a lot of giftware - best sellers have to be the Beatrix Potter range, especially the alphabet and numbers.
We very rarely order other than from a rep visit (not sure why, not my department) so it's usually a big order, esp this time of year.

Anyway - our old rep just retired - known him for years, spitting image of Anthony Hopkins and does a great (Silence of the Lambs) impression too - great sense of humour.

New rep's first visit today - middle aged lady, quite pleasant. So - we get to replenishing stocks of the Beatrix Potter alphabet. Shot up in price from (retail) £6.95 to £8.95. Hmmmm - did we want to continue with them at that price?

As we're umming and aah-ing a lady that had just given me a framing order buys 4 letters (at £6.95 ea) 'T-O-N-I' - so we asked 'Would you still have bought them at £8.95?

'Hmmm' she said - 'Maybe not - maybe just the first and surname initials'.

So, I said to the rep "Well, we have to think of our INITIAL outlay"

Amid the groans she dived straight for her calculator - it went STRAIGHT over her head.

We'll have to look for a new supplier!

Come on John, have a heart, letter off.........

She was probably just intimidated by your wit, charm and good looks, John.

… um … no, wait … that can’t be it.

you committed a CAPITAL offense.

Hi John,

That's a hefty increase in price. Did they offer any justification for the size of the increase? It would be interesting to know why they need such as big increase.

My guess is that such an increase will lose them a lot of sales.

Maybe they think they can get away with a hefty price increase just before Christmas.

I don't think it was that sudden an increase - it's probably crept up month by month and we've only noticed it as a huge jump in one hit due to the time that's passed since our last order, which was even longer than usual due to the retirement of our old rep, who used to love coming here, and the new rep establishing her round - probably prioritising; they deal with huge chains as well as tiddlers like us.

But even though the RRP of our stock was £6.95 - a local garden centre (chain - with plenty of sidelines) was selling those letters/numbers at £8.50 each last year whilst (possibly) paying less for them with a quantity discount.

Mmm?

I wouldn't be too hard on Enesco - most of their product is imported from China and with the diablolical exchange rate at the moment its not surprising they have had to increase their prices.

We were browsing their catalogues the other day and thought that you could fill a shop with their range!

Robin