Mary Portas Queen of Shops

[Marty Funkhouser]

I love her but I hate that whole wky world of design....

[Nightmare]

yeah....was thinking that whilst i could see i really didnt like their original stuff, i couldn't possibly begin to decide where 'good taste' becomes 'awful tat' with any certainty....the stuff in that design lasses house they visited had some bits which were easily as monstrous as theirs!

[Marty Funkhouser]

That lad in the dressing gown was a serious wrong 'un.

[youngsyr]

There's no doubt that she knows what she's doing, but the way she deals with people leaves a lot to be desired at times, I feel.

I know a lot of it may well be hammed up for the cameras, but she was on BBC Breakfast last week discussing the bakers episode (where the beligerant owner kicked her out and refused to deal with her) and her attitude seemed identical "live" as it did on the show.

Still, I guess if you're that good at your job, a little arrogance is going to creep in and perhaps it's an effective way of shocking people into fundamental change in a very short time frame.

[webbyst]

Marty Funkhouser said:

That lad in the dressing gown was a serious wrong 'un.

Domonic the head sales executive What a legend

Edited by webbyst on Tuesday 29th June 09:01

[DavesFlaps]

webbyst said:

Marty Funkhouser said:

That lad in the dressing gown was a serious wrong 'un.

Domonic the head sales executive What a legend

Edited by webbyst on Tuesday 29th June 09:01

I didn't know people like that really existed.

Why on earth was he allowed into people homes wearing that fking dressing gown?

He came across as a workshy socially inept weirdo, who I imagine has a large collection of questionable material on his PC/laptop/secret USB stick.

That's my perception, however I'm sure he's a very nice normal bloke.

• cough*

[webbyst]

DavesFlaps said:

webbyst said:

Marty Funkhouser said:

That lad in the dressing gown was a serious wrong 'un.

Domonic the head sales executive What a legend

Edited by webbyst on Tuesday 29th June 09:01

I didn't know people like that really existed.

Why on earth was he allowed into people homes wearing that fking dressing gown?

He came across as a workshy socially inept weirdo, who I imagine has a large collection of questionable material on his PC/laptop/secret USB stick.

That's my perception, however I'm sure he's a very nice normal bloke.

• cough*

I liked his little moustache too , even with his overcoat on you could see the dressing gown collars , I agree real weird

i have just watched the raynes park bakers edition on the i-player , brilliant telly & i'm so close to raynes park , i'm so tempted to go & have a look , Gotta love Mary she's so domineering , wonder if she has a love swing & bondage dungeon

[Marty Funkhouser]

webbyst said:

DavesFlaps said:

webbyst said:

Marty Funkhouser said:

That lad in the dressing gown was a serious wrong 'un.

Domonic the head sales executive What a legend

Edited by webbyst on Tuesday 29th June 09:01

I didn't know people like that really existed.

Why on earth was he allowed into people homes wearing that fking dressing gown?

He came across as a workshy socially inept weirdo, who I imagine has a large collection of questionable material on his PC/laptop/secret USB stick.

That's my perception, however I'm sure he's a very nice normal bloke.

• cough*

I liked his little moustache too , even with his overcoat on you could see the dressing gown collars , I agree real weird

i have just watched the raynes park bakers edition on the i-player , brilliant telly & i'm so close to raynes park , i'm so tempted to go & have a look , Gotta love Mary she's so domineering , wonder if she has a love swing & bondage dungeon

She clearly wears the pants in her relationship...but I hate to disappoint you she "bats for Pakistan" as my Grandfather used to say.

[Futuo]

If the lad in the dressing gown had sold a few platinum albums it would be a trend by now.

Wouldn't any shop benefit from a televised open day though?

Started watching them thinking I'd learn something, so far I've leant that having a television crew visit your business will boost sales, no st Sherlock......

[youngsyr]

Futuo said:

If the lad in the dressing gown had sold a few platinum albums it would be a trend by now.

Wouldn't any shop benefit from a televised open day though?

Started watching them thinking I'd learn something, so far I've leant that having a television crew visit your business will boost sales, no st Sherlock......

I agree that it would be better to have a check up visit 6 months later to see how they'd got on, but in my opinion if you don't work in a successful retail business, or haven't been trained in sales and you haven't learnt anything about retail by watching these programmes then you must have had your eyes shut!

[thatone1967]

youngsyr said:

Futuo said:

If the lad in the dressing gown had sold a few platinum albums it would be a trend by now.

Wouldn't any shop benefit from a televised open day though?

Started watching them thinking I'd learn something, so far I've leant that having a television crew visit your business will boost sales, no st Sherlock......

I agree that it would be better to have a check up visit 6 months later to see how they'd got on, but in my opinion if you don't work in a successful retail business, or haven't been trained in sales and you haven't learnt anything about retail by watching these programmes then you must have had your eyes shut!

Any shop would benefit, but they cleary have learnt very little about business from Mary... their website was down for 2 days after the show (the mrs wanted to go there) the best advertising they are EVER gonna get, and they do not make sure their site is working...


ps... Mary was married and had a couple of kids and now lives with her female partner and classes herself as "bi" ..or so wikipedia says anyway...

[Futuo]

youngsyr said:

Futuo said:

If the lad in the dressing gown had sold a few platinum albums it would be a trend by now.

Wouldn't any shop benefit from a televised open day though?

Started watching them thinking I'd learn something, so far I've leant that having a television crew visit your business will boost sales, no st Sherlock......

I agree that it would be better to have a check up visit 6 months later to see how they'd got on, but in my opinion if you don't work in a successful retail business, or haven't been trained in sales and you haven't learnt anything about retail by watching these programmes then you must have had your eyes shut!

Re the corner shop getting in locally sourced products - doesn't apply to me an Optician as such a thing doesn't exist.

Re the interior design shop, not buying to suit my own tastes - do that anyhow, I buy in frames I don't like.

[webbyst]

thatone1967 said:

youngsyr said:

Futuo said:

If the lad in the dressing gown had sold a few platinum albums it would be a trend by now.

Wouldn't any shop benefit from a televised open day though?

Started watching them thinking I'd learn something, so far I've leant that having a television crew visit your business will boost sales, no st Sherlock......

I agree that it would be better to have a check up visit 6 months later to see how they'd got on, but in my opinion if you don't work in a successful retail business, or haven't been trained in sales and you haven't learnt anything about retail by watching these programmes then you must have had your eyes shut!

Any shop would benefit, but they cleary have learnt very little about business from Mary... their website was down for 2 days after the show (the mrs wanted to go there) the best advertising they are EVER gonna get, and they do not make sure their site is working...


ps... Mary was married and had a couple of kids and now lives with her female partner and classes herself as "bi" ..or so wikipedia says anyway...

Still fancy the pants of her though

[Zad]

Main thread hidden aware here in the Business forum: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

I kinda feel sorry for the son in the dressing gown, and he would have been far better off doing a job away from the family. When you have parents like that who think they know it all (and don't) then you don't have any say, and just do what you are told. In this instance that amounted to doing nothing. Having parents like that, it is no wonder he ended up like he did.

£250 for some 1950s tat and some emulsion?! Are people in London really such big mugs?

[youngsyr]

Futuo said:

youngsyr said:

Futuo said:

If the lad in the dressing gown had sold a few platinum albums it would be a trend by now.

Wouldn't any shop benefit from a televised open day though?

Started watching them thinking I'd learn something, so far I've leant that having a television crew visit your business will boost sales, no st Sherlock......

I agree that it would be better to have a check up visit 6 months later to see how they'd got on, but in my opinion if you don't work in a successful retail business, or haven't been trained in sales and you haven't learnt anything about retail by watching these programmes then you must have had your eyes shut!

Re the corner shop getting in locally sourced products - doesn't apply to me an Optician as such a thing doesn't exist.

Re the interior design shop, not buying to suit my own tastes - do that anyhow, I buy in frames I don't like.

I think you may have missed the strategies she's using (that can be applied to any store) and are simply seeing the results of how they've been applied in that particular situation. I have zero retail experience, but it seems to me that she goes for the following:

- know your potential market (she uses different techniques to find their needs, wants and aspirations);

- have a unique selling point to set your operation apart from the competitors (locally sourced product/non-standard products/in-house production/providing a shopping "experience"/etc.);

- if a strategy/approach stops working, continuing to use the same approach and hoping the situation improves isn't going to work, no matter how well it has worked in the past; and

- retail is a business that needs a professional approach with an integrated strategy in place, not just buying/making stuff and trying to sell it to people who happen to wander in off the street.

[Futuo]

Zad said:

£250 for some 1950s tat and some emulsion?! Are people in London really such big mugs?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AGSMJojAM4&feature=related

Kept on thinking about that and Reggie Perrin's Grot all the way through

[Futuo]

youngsyr said:

I think you may have missed the strategies she's using (that can be applied to any store) and are simply seeing the results of how they've been applied in that particular situation. I have zero retail experience, but it seems to me that she goes for the following:

- know your potential market (she uses different techniques to find their needs, wants and aspirations);

- have a unique selling point to set your operation apart from the competitors (locally sourced product/non-standard products/in-house production/providing a shopping "experience"/etc.);

- if a strategy/approach stops working, continuing to use the same approach and hoping the situation improves isn't going to work, no matter how well it has worked in the past; and

- retail is a business that needs a professional approach with an integrated strategy in place, not just buying/making stuff and trying to sell it to people who happen to wander in off the street.

Know your market - well know my patients yes, but would like more new ones but have to be careful not to alienate existing ones.

Uniqueness - independent, family based, expertise, tricky cases the big boys can't or won't deal with

Changing strategy could be a mega bad idea if it is just the recession that has caused my dip. If it isn't broken then don't fix it has a lot of merit.

Opticians are a bit of an odd mix, medical / retail at the same time. Brushed aluminium and spot lights just isn't me and going that way would kill me off.

[Zad]

Futuo said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AGSMJojAM4&fea...

Kept on thinking about that and Reggie Perrin's Grot all the way through

I might possibly have mentioned Reggie Perrin to the people with me at the time

Well, good luck to em I say. I hope they manage to keep up with trends (doubt they will, but who knows).

[youngsyr]

Futuo said:

youngsyr said:

I think you may have missed the strategies she's using (that can be applied to any store) and are simply seeing the results of how they've been applied in that particular situation. I have zero retail experience, but it seems to me that she goes for the following:

- know your potential market (she uses different techniques to find their needs, wants and aspirations);

- have a unique selling point to set your operation apart from the competitors (locally sourced product/non-standard products/in-house production/providing a shopping "experience"/etc.);

- if a strategy/approach stops working, continuing to use the same approach and hoping the situation improves isn't going to work, no matter how well it has worked in the past; and

- retail is a business that needs a professional approach with an integrated strategy in place, not just buying/making stuff and trying to sell it to people who happen to wander in off the street.

Know your market - well know my patients yes, but would like more new ones but have to be careful not to alienate existing ones.

Uniqueness - independent, family based, expertise, tricky cases the big boys can't or won't deal with

Changing strategy could be a mega bad idea if it is just the recession that has caused my dip. If it isn't broken then don't fix it has a lot of merit.

Opticians are a bit of an odd mix, medical / retail at the same time. Brushed aluminium and spot lights just isn't me and going that way would kill me off.

Like I said, I have zero retail experience, but it still seems to me that you're missing some of the point behind her strategies.

For example, she places great emphasis on knowing your potential market - knowing what the people who buy from you want is easy - because they buy it!

What you need to know is why the people who could buy from you don't, and address that issue.

Similarly it's all well and good having a USP, but you need to make your market aware of it and to exploit it (assuming it's a viable one).

Likewise with the strategy, the recession might not just be a blip and as you say, it might not be the cause of your downturn.

No one is saying that brushed aluminium and spotlights is the way for you to go, but it might be worth speaking to a professional business advisor who specialises in your sector - it never hurts to have another informed opinion.

[Futuo]

youngsyr said:

Like I said, I have zero retail experience, but it still seems to me that you're missing some of the point behind her strategies.

For example, she places great emphasis on knowing your potential market - knowing what the people who buy from you want is easy - because they buy it!

What you need to know is why the people who could buy from you don't, and address that issue.

Similarly it's all well and good having a USP, but you need to make your market aware of it and to exploit it (assuming it's a viable one).

Likewise with the strategy, the recession might not just be a blip and as you say, it might not be the cause of your downturn.

No one is saying that brushed aluminium and spotlights is the way for you to go, but it might be worth speaking to a professional business advisor who specialises in your sector - it never hurts to have another informed opinion.

Her stratedgy seems to be have an open night with cameras present and shock horror it is busy.

The biggest problem I have is because we have wood, carpet etc we are seen as being pricey (even though we aren't). Which is where Specsavers win over me as they are seen as cheap even though sometimes they aren't.