THIS MONTH’S Real Deal from INSTORE — “The Case of the Billboard Battle” is currently collecting responses. Read our quick-hit analysis, see what your fellow retailers think, then jump in and tell us who’s right!
Most of the responses so far place the blame squarely on BrightLeaf’s own missteps. The most consistent criticism is a simple one: never advertise a product you don’t have in stock or can’t deliver without friction — asking a customer to pay in full upfront with no returns for something she’d never tried on was a self-inflicted wound. The overall takeaway from the group is that BrightLeaf needs to have a serious conversation with Lumina about enforcing the agreement going forward, but that they also need to look inward — because the sale was lost long before the customer ever called Harbor & Hearth.
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Here are some of the responses so far:
Karl V.
Port Charlotte, FL
The fault lies with BrightLeaf as a company. The marketing department should never advertise an item that is not in stock or easily accessible. There is no way a customer should have to buy something sight unseen. Harbor and Hearth did what any jewelry store should do…take care of the customer.
Ginger G.
Gladewater, TX
Never advertise a product you don’t have in stock. The store advertised a ring they couldn’t deliver in a timely manner, so the customer went elsewhere. The other store was just trying to please a customer; they didn’t do anything wrong. They should just let it go. As for a $200,000 yearly buy in for “exclusivity,” I wouldn’t agree to that in a million years.
Eugene .
Overland Park, KS
If it is on your billboard, at least have that item in stock.
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