Creative Leisure News - Memory, Paper & Stamps

The trends, the issues, and productive business strategies.

Crafter's Home: Big Plans, New Personnel

All designed to help independents and grow the category.

Staff Report (February 5, 2007)

Crafter's Home, a leading independent scrapbook retail association, is making some big changes for 2007, changes the group thinks will begin a new era for independents and manufacturers in the scrapbook and paper crafting category.

One of these changes is to hire a new staff member. Lisa Kanak, a retail store owner with a strong background in direct marketing and communications, has joined Crafter's Home as the new Director of Marketing and Member Relations.

"Independent storeowners are facing greater challenges and greater competition than ever before," says Shane Cullimore, President of Crafter's Home. "And while purchasing discounts are helpful, they do not go far enough to address the increasing pressures on both retailers and manufacturers."

"There is so much more to running a scrapbook or craft store than buying discounts," says Kanak. "Store owners are constantly looking for ways they can find new customers, create exciting marketing promotions, and inspire customers with innovative classes. And the challenge is to maximize returns on these critical components while minimizing effort and expense – something Crafter's Home is in a unique position to accomplish."

As the Director of Marketing and Member Relations, Kanak is planning to to bring more value to Crafter's Home members, both retailers and vendors, through a variety of initiatives:

1. Pre-planned classes and make-it/take-its.

2. Greater promotional opportunities and product exclusives with premier vendors.

3. Joint advertising and event efforts to increase awareness of scrapbooking, and reinvigorate growth in member stores, as well as the category as a whole.

4. Improving communication between retailers and manufacturers to help each segment of the industry avoid costly missteps and misunderstandings.

"Retailers and manufacturers are a lot more alike than either thinks," says Kanak. "We share so many common goals and common frustrations, yet instead of working together, we all want to paddle our own boat upstream. It's time we did more than talk about what the industry needs to be doing, and actually take some action. We need to follow the example of Phil Knight, founder of Nike whose slogan is, 'Just Do It!'

"I believe Crafter's Home is in a unique position to make big things happen for a majority of small, medium, and large companies," Lisa added. "I look forward to working with Shane to make his vision for Crafter's Home a reality."

(Note: Lisa is the owner of The Cropper's Corner, a scrapbook store in Fredricksburg, VA and has written numerous columns for CLN. To learn more about Crafter's Home, visit www.craftershome.com.

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