need some help writing a proposal...

[Hunni]

Ok so as a coupon user and a RCSS employee, I am writing a proposal to my boss (well the head guy but my store manager will turn it in) about allowing coupon stacking in our stores, and or maybe once a month doipng Double Days. what I need from my fellow SC'ers is maybe some note or highlights you all think should be included and that will really get their attention.

[Chantel]

My mind is coming up blank for ideas on what to say, really. I'd just mention the MASSIVE response Pharmasave got when they did double coupon days, and how well London Drugs is doing because they allow stacking. Maybe mention that their competitor, Save-On-Foods (as well as WM apparently/eventually will be allowing) is training their staff to allow coupon stacking, and that could take away from RCSS's business.

You can give him my promise that I will drop my current grocery store and shop solely at RCSS if coupon stacking becomes allowed.

[Hunni]

ya that was going to be my main point was about competition with the other stores, and things which should be enough to get their attention lol, but I was thinking of little things to, put in.
I will for sure add the dropping of other stores for you that might help push them over the edge lol

[miztia]

can you find sales figures on line for LD and pharmasave? Head honchos always like to hear about $$$ increases and what contributed to them, and how they can get in on it too.
Maybe add in that couponing has become a $?$? industry. I have no idea, but alot more people are using them.
Make sure you put the point across that its not you that wants it, it is them that wants it..and they just dont know it yet!
When I have to talk to a "big wig" through work, I always include sales figures, past history, and back up plan. Maybe research how the "coupon zone" coupons are doing, and add to that idea. They maybe not even be aware of coupon stacking..who knows, just cause they are high up, doesnt mean they are the brightest. LOL

[Arshes76]

I would make a note about the cost, because esentially it would cost them nothing, as the manufacturer, would be carrying most of the cost.

They could offer fanatastic deals to thier customers and it would essentially cost them nothing because they would get all the money back from the manufacturer.

[ferdo]

What is your position at the store. I would be wary. No offense but if you are only a cashier, it wont go over well. I used to work at a grocery store as a student in high school and managers think they are gods. Probablty beat up as kids alot and need to make up for it.

[scottie54]

I wilsh I was good with Words in order to Help you. I was always told it Never Hurts to ask a Question, You just might not like the Answer. I Guess Polite & Sincere or maybe the Suggestion Box ? Scottie

[Hunni]

I would make a note about the cost, because esentially it would cost them nothing, as the manufacturer, would be carrying most of the cost.

They could offer fanatastic deals to thier customers and it would essentially cost them nothing because they would get all the money back from the manufacturer.

that is a great point to add in..

see this is why I don't want to forget anything lol

[Hunni]

What is your position at the store. I would be wary. No offense but if you are only a cashier, it wont go over well. I used to work at a grocery store as a student in high school and managers think they are gods. Probablty beat up as kids alot and need to make up for it.

I am a cashier, but the one I work at, they are really good to us, and encourage things like that, I mean it never hurts to try.

[Chantel]

If you can't find sales figures, link them to this site. Tell them to browse and use the search tool, and see how people walked out of LD with hundreds of dollars worth of stuff, and how some of us do that almost every week, I average about $100 a week spent at LD, VS $0 a week if they didn't allow stacking.

Imagine how much more food and grocery products families would purchase from them if they could bring their totals down a ton every time they shopped! I could probably feed my family of four for half the cost of what we pay now.

Ask them to view clips or videos on youtube about American couponing and see what they're missing out on. They may realize that the US is really on to something.

[newwestsaver]

Unfortunately London Drugs is a privately owned company - Publicly owned companies have to by law produce quarterly financial statements along with Management Discussion and Analysis (basically forward looking financial statements and where they plan to grow as a company) - without this finding financial records or info on how the company has grown and when they brought coupon stacking in as a policy will be very tough - you may want to try the LD website - send their headoffice an email stating you're doing a school project on the relationship of coupons and profit growth - just ask for a basic yearly financial history from the time LD started allowing coupon stacking - this may get you nowhere as they dont have to give this info to you but they might do it as a good customer service gesture

Pharmasave is a corporation and their website even shows there is shareholder ownership but I'm unable to find their listing on sedar.com (this is the goverment repository for publicly traded companies) - though I must admit seeing as the double coupon days were seldom compared to LDs coupon stacking policy even were you to find quarterly statements they most likely would be of little help - odds are just speaking to a store manager at either of these stores would likely give you info on how much coupons have helped store profits

[Evie84]

I would even try to include a little coupon 101 for them, as some of them don't even know how coupons work. The benefit of being flexible with coupons, adjusting them down for the customer and the store doesn't loose anything, the added profit of handling fees paid by the manufacturer, and the better the store handles coupons and the easier it is for consumers, the more business he'll get.

People go out of their way to shop at stores where they can save money and have an easy time using their coupons. I have to travel 30min by transit to my nearest Pharmasave, but you bet your butt I woke up early and dragged my daughter along on double coupon day. When I got there I had to ask where the Tide was and the cashier just laughed at me and pointed me in the right direction as that was the most popular item that day. I got 2 of the last 4 on the shelf, and 2min later they were sold out. By being hard on couponers, following the normal 1 coupon per item rule, not accepting printables etc, stores are loosing out on a huge amount of profit. And just because the consumer gets something for free or next to free, doesn't mean the store is loosing money or giving product away. I think that is the biggest misconception.

[cuppycake]

I would be scared to see coupon stacking allowed in Ontario our population is SO much bigger than B.C.. Can you imagine HOW MANY people there will be doing it and how fast the shelves will be cleared?? I bet there would be full out fights in the stores over products to.

I think double coupon days is the best choice.

[sarah_300c]

Good idea! I was thinking about sending a letter to a couple of the stores in Saint John and see if they would consider stacking. It's a long shot, but you never know if you don't try.

[kittyboots]

Best of luck to you - good for you for writing a proposal.