The competition

Firstly, let me report back that I didn't manage to make any wreaths the other day - very disappointing.

One of the jobs I find quite nerve racking is checking out the competition.  Obviously the department stores have fabulous budgets for setting up their christmas displays, and "Trim the Tree" departments.  I visited the local large shopping centre yesterday and with butterflies in my stomach entered the first of the 2 big stores. 

I can honestly say I was delighted to see they once again had a very disappointing range of trees.  While our trees are a bit more expensive, they are far nicer looking.  Ok, one done, one to go.  The second department store has actually bothered to fluff out the branches of their trees this year (which they did an appalling job of last year), but the trees are still inferior to ours.  Yeh!!!!!!

And while both department stores had bigger displays than I could fit in my store, even looking at them just as a consumer, they are focusing their efforts on buying direct from Chinese manufacturers and branding them as their own.  There is very little innovation in the departments.  Maybe this is because they do just fine as they are, but I could honestly say, I would have left both places with my money still firmly in my pocket, even if I didn't own my store.

So glad that job is done for the year. 

Cheers for now.