From: WynnLindyB <WynnLindyB@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 14:04:42 EST
To: balloondeco@fooledya.com
Subject: Re: Valentines Day Deliveries

One suggestion to boost Valentine's Day sales this year would be to contact
your local indoor mall(s).  Fax, or better yet, drop by a good 8x10 picture of
your best walk-thru heart and offer to make one to put at the entrance of
EVERY STORE in the mall a week before Valentine's Day.  What a wonderful
promotional gimmick for the mall when they advertise their "Walkway of Love"
for their customers to enjoy as they shop for that special Valentine's Day
gift.

We are doing this with one mall and offered a lower rate per heart as their
percentage of sales of the hearts went up, i.e., one price if 25% of the
stores purchased the heart, a little lower price if 50% of stores
participated, even lower if 75% participated and "rock bottom" (which is
actually just $10 below our regular price) if 100% of their stores ordered the
hearts.  The mall is doing all our selling for us and so far we have 25% of
the stores participating and it's only been one week since we talked with the
mall.  

Wynn builds all our heart frames so the frames are costing us very, very
little.  We are making inexpensive bases out of 4x8 sheets of white counter-
top material we buy at Home Depot and they cut into 18"x18" squares for us.
We are then offering these frames and bases to the stores for purchase after
the promotion with a promise of a 10% discount on their heart next year.  In
this way, we don't have to store the frames and bases.  By making the frames
and bases yourself, you can offer your hearts to the stores at a range of
$150-$200 and still make tons of $$$$$ on each one.  

Since the promotion only lasts about a week, there will be very little, if
any, maintenance, but I'd suggest offering maintenance for a fee, just in case
some love-struck teenagers decide to go on a popping spree.

The nicest thing about this promotion is that it happens a week or 10 days
BEFORE Valentine's Day which still leaves VD open to make more $$$$.  However,
with anywhere from 50-200 stores in one mall, you may want to just sit back
and relax on Valentine's Day this year.

Smiles from us to you!
Wynn & Lindy Bell, CBA's
Balloons & Flowers, Etc.
San Jose, CA