Selling to Small Retailers

I suppose someone could decide to sell a product only to small stores as a matter of 'conscience.' The idea being that 'big box stores' are icky.

There seems to be a more common-sense reason for wanting a lot of small-to-medium accounts, instead of a handful of huge accounts.

Let's say that XYZ Widgets sells 100 units a month to 1,000 stores. I haven't a clue what their widgets are, and it doesn't matter. Their chief competitor is PDQ Widgets, that sells the same number of widgets a month: 100,000.

The difference is that PDQ Widgets sells 50,000 units a month to one major retailer, 40,000 units monthly to another big chain, and 10,000 a month to about a dozen smaller accounts.

Then the 40,000 widget per month chain decided that they'd start stocking a different brand of widget. One of XYZ Widgets' accounts quit buying, too.

But PDQ lost 40% of their income - while XYZ lost 0.1% of theirs. 'Nuf said.

Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show: Second Morning on the Floor

Earlier this morning, Spiral Light Candle Corporation's new website works. As my son-in-law said, 'it shouldn't - but it does!' I didn't have time to get the technical details, but my guess is that the URL got processed with unusual speed. For folks here in Philadelphia, anyway.

Here's where Spiral Light Candle Corp. is, online and elsewhere:

• Spiral Light Candle Corporation
  (spirallightcandle.com)
  P.O. Box 868, Hillsboro, ND 58045
  (701) 425-0682
  info@spirallightcandle.com
  • Spiral Light's Spiral Burning Self Filling Candle
    (also on YouTube)
  • brocuhre (pdf)

Aaron McWilliams invented Spiral Light's self filling candle earlier this year, and that's another topic.

Here's a half-size video of what's on their website:

"Spiral Light's Spiral Burning Self Filling Candle"

(shown half-size: full version at YouTube)
anoasisproduction, YouTube (July 28, 2011)
video, 1:31

Snapshots from the CMN Trade Show

Inevitably, I took photos at the Catholic Marketing Network's 15th Anniversary Trade Show: and want to show them off. This set is mostly about the Spiral Light Candle Corp.'s booth.

Spiral Light Candle Corp. setting up, at the Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show. August 1, 2011.

A whole lot of Spiral Light Candle Corp.'s small candles. August 2, 2011.

Start of the first open-floor day at the Catholic Marketing Network's trade show. August 3, 2011.

First open-floor day at the Spiral Light Corp./Oasis Productions booth, Catholic Marketing Network's trade show. August 3, 2011.

There's a lot more going on at the CMN trade show - but I'm on 'company time' right now, so the rest will come later. Maybe in another blog.

Related posts:

• "Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show: First Morning on the Floor"
  (August 3, 2011)
• "Catholic Marketing Network's 15th Annual Trade Show and Me"
  (August 1, 2011)
• "On the Road to the Trade Show: Schedules, Attendees"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (July 31, 2011)
• "Trade Show Time: Catholic Marketing Network"
  (July 27, 2011)
• "How to Engage Others Online - Without Annoying Them"
  (July 30, 2010)

More about the Catholic Marketing Network's trade show and me:

• "Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show"

Background:

• Catholic Marketing Network
• 15th Annual Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show
  Near Philadelphia, PA (Tuesday, August 2, 2011 - Friday, August 5, 2011)

Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show: First Morning on the Floor

We got the Spiral Light Candle Corp./Oasis Productions booth set up yesterday. Actually, my son-in-law and #2 daughter started work on Monday: My contribution was mostly putting a few labels on candles.

When I wasn't on gofer duty at the booth, I visited a few other exhibitors. Here's what I remember, in alphabetical order:

• America Digital Accessories Corp. (electronicrosary.com)
  • A hand-held talking prayer assistant
    • In several languages
    • Three modes of operation
    • (small) pictures
  • Started in Hong Kong (I think), now in
    • Nigeria
    • Malta
    • United States
    • Other places too, probably
• Catholic Kids' Games^TM (catholickidsgames.com)
  • The Priest Game
    • A family game
    • Educational
      • You don't need to let the kids know that
      • Teaches
        • Colors
        • Color words
        • Numbers
        • Shapes
        • What parts of a priest's clothing is called
    • Fun
      • Looks like
      • I haven't played it, myself
• Royal Consumer Information Products, Inc. (royal.com)
  • It's a cash register/office machines company
  • With a talking King James Bible
    • At the Catholic Marketing Network trade show?
    • It's beautiful literature, anyway
  • Their 'coming soon product:' a NAB digital Bible
    • That doesn't talk
      • Fairly easy-to-read display
    • With internal links
    • Searchable
    • Pending approval
    • With
      • Baltimore Catechism
      • Prayers
      • More stuff I don't remember
    • All in a little palm-size keyboard/display

So, Why am I here?

Like I said, I'm with the Spiral Light Candle Corp./Oasis Productions booth. We've got self-filling candles - a unique product. I've posted this time lapse video before: but repetition is supposed to be good for learning and explanations, so here it is again, still half-size to fit in this blog. The full-size video is on YouTube.

"Spiral Light's Spiral Burning Self Filling Candle"

(shown half-size: full version at YouTube)
anoasisproduction, YouTube (July 28, 2011)
video, 1:31

Related posts:

• "Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show, Labels, and Money"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (August 2, 2011)
• "Catholic Marketing Network's 15th Annual Trade Show and Me"
  (August 1, 2011)
• "Trade Show Time: Catholic Marketing Network"
  (July 27, 2011)
• "Trade Show Preparation: Is Work Important?"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (August 1, 2011)
• "On the Road to the Trade Show: Schedules, Attendees"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (July 31, 2011)

More about the Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show and me:

• "Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show"
  Starting a Small Business Without Losing My Mind

Background:

• Catholic Marketing Network
• 15th Annual Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show
  Near Philadelphia, PA (Tuesday, August 2, 2011 - Friday, August 5, 2011)

Families, Vacations, Catholic Marketing Network's 15th Annual Trade Show, Schedules, and a Candle

We started setting up the Spiral Light Candle Corp/Oasis Productions booth at the Catholic Marketing Network's trade show this evening. More accurately, my son-in-law and #2 daughter started setting it up. I stayed out of the way, for the most part.

Trade Show Children's Area

There's something new this year: a sort of 'kids' area:' a section for children with activities and (don't tell them?) educational things going on.

This makes sense, I think, since some folks plan their family vacations around the show, or at least work it into their vacation plans. With the children's section available, parents have the option of getting a few moments on their own, to check out the booths.

The public part of the trade show starts Wednesday, and goes through Friday, I'm told.

Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show Floor Schedule

Here's what I found on the trade show's website-

Trade Show Floor Open:

• Wednesday, August 3
  • 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Thursday, August 4
  • 9:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
• Friday, August 5
  • 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The trade show's website has a more detailed schedule.

Who's at the CMN trade show:

• "Attendees"
  15th Annual Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show (via www.cvent.com)

Just a few from the list of attendees:

• America Digital Accessories Corp
• Bless Our Faith Gifts, Inc.
• CCC of America, Inc.
• The Donut Man
• Liguori Press/Publications
• Mr. Jon's Gift Shop
• Wee Believers

Spiral Light Corporation's Self-Filling Candle

I'm particularly interested in the Spiral Light Candle Corp./Oasis Productions booth. Naturally, since I'm a part-owner of the Spiral Light Candle Corp. - and working there as the gopher,

Here's a time lapse (and half-size) video of one of our self-filling candles. The full-size video is on YouTube.

"Spiral Light's Spiral Burning Self Filling Candle"

(shown half-size: full version at YouTube)
anoasisproduction, YouTube (July 28, 2011)
video, 1:31

More about the Catholic Marketing Network's trade show and me:

• "Catholic Marketing Network's 15th Annual Trade Show"

Catholic Marketing Network's 15th Annual Trade Show and Me

Later today, I expect to arrive at the Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania: near Philadelphia. My arrival won't be a big deal, but I think the event is.

I'll be at the Spiral Light Candle Corp. boot at the 15th Annual Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show. I put links to the Catholic Marketing Network, and the trade show's site, under background, at the end of this post.

The Spiral Light self-filling candles are something new. Here's a time lapse (and half-size) video of one of our candles. The full-size video is on YouTube - you can follow the link.

"Spiral Light's Spiral Burning Self Filling Candle"

(shown half-size: full version at YouTube)
anoasisproduction, YouTube (July 28, 2011)
video, 1:31

I'll be updating the link list below, as I post about my experiences at the trade show.

More-or-less-related posts:

• "On the Road to the Trade Show: Schedules, Attendees"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (July 31, 2011)
• "On the Road to the Trade Show: Accident in Indiana"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (July 31, 2011)
• "Trade Show in Pennsylvania, Ecclesiastes, Software, and Schedules"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (July 26, 2011)
• "Lemming Tracks: The Lemming's Taking a Sabbatical, Sort Of"
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (July 26, 2011)
• "Wealth, Poverty, Stereotypes, and Snidely Whiplash"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (March 8, 2011)

More about the Catholic Marketing Network's trade show and me:

• "Catholic Marketing Network's 15th Annual Trade Show"

Background:

• Catholic Marketing Network
• 15th Annual Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show
  Near Philadelphia, PA: Tuesday, August 2, 2011 - Friday, August 5, 2011