Reference no: EM133289091
Taking Your Store to Your Customers
There are several channels that producers can use to get their products to the market. Sometimes these distribution channels may be long and complicated, using several Page 242 intermediaries between the producer and consumer. However, as Sarah Hammet, owner of Feeling Special Fashions, has shown, it does not have to be that complicated.
Hammet sells clothing specially designed for senior citizens. It is called "adaptive" clothing- dresses and separates for seniors whose mobility and dexterity are restricted. Hammet bypasses the usual intermediaries, such as retail stores, and takes her product directly to the customers. She sells clothing at 50 nursing homes and retirement communities in two states and the District of Columbia.
Four days out of the week, every spring and fall, Hammet and an assistant load half a dozen racks of clothes into the back of a van and hit the road. She conducts fashion shows and offers individual consultations at every facility they visit. This type of personal selling has been effective for Hammet, who thought up the idea in the early 1980s while visiting her elderly father in a Kentucky nursing home. She was appalled by the careless and drab manner in which patients were dressed. Hammet perceived a need and stepped in to fill it.
The clothing she sells is manufactured by Comfort Clothing Inc., which is located in Canada. The items are stylishly designed and come in various colors and prints. The clothing is different in that armholes are bigger, buttons often hide Velcro fastenings, and waists are uncinched and come with optional belts. The garments can be stepped into rather than pulled on over the head. They are washable and cost between $40 and $60. Through a combination of creative merchandising and personal selling, Hammet has established a growing business.
Questions
- What type of distribution channels does Feeling Special Fashions use?
- Should Sarah Hammet consider selling through intermediaries, such as retailers?
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages.
- How would you rate Hammet's selling strategy? Recommend ways she could increase sales.
- Should Feeling Special Fashions advertise? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages.
- How do you rate Hammet's chances for success? Why?