WIC+President

Date: November 22, 2013 To: Dee Alves, President; From: Kathy Hall, Marketing Manager Subject: Customer Survey Replies I would like to take this time to update you on the results of last quarters Customer Satisfaction Survey, as well as the results from our internal Suggestion Box. This quarter’s results included those of our first on-line survey as well as mail replies. We did receive approximately 150 extra replies this quarter than last with a total of 200 via postal mail and 100 from internet replies. The Customer Satisfaction Survey results are as follows: As you will notice these results reflect a small drop from the prior quarter. I feel that we should discuss this down trend as it may be a result in the need of additional staff to handle our increase in business. We need to take whatever steps are necessary to keep our customers shopping experience as positive as possible.
 * How satisfied were you with the Cleanliness of the Store? – 87% Positive - Prior Qtr. 85%
 * How satisfied were you with the associate who assisted you? – 95% Positive – Prior Qtr. 94%
 * Did you find what you were looking for? Ex: Size, Color, Style – 89% Positive – Prior Qtr. 87%
 * Would you recommend our store to a friend? – 97% Positive - Prior Month 94%

Below are a couple of suggestions that were dropped in our Suggestion Box. These are a couple of excellent suggestions that we should certainly consider. Our customer’s ideas are essential for our continued growth, it is important for us to meet their needs and wants.
 * Pet Accessory Department should be enlarged
 * More men’s products should be added

I look forward to discussing these results with you at our next staff meeting.

Regards, Kathy MEMORANDUM **Date:** November 14, 2013


 * To:** Dee Alves, President


 * From:** Bonnie Amadon, Vice President


 * Subject:** Becoming a Supplier for Target

As the company continues to expand the product to our regular customer, I believe we should try to explore other ways to market our product. These will open doors through out the world by contacting an exciting company that have the same mission and products as The Walk-In Closet. The business I believe is compatible to us would be Target.


 * Background:** When doing some research, I found Mr. Jeffery J. Jones II, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, which I consulted with him about what I had to offer. He suggested we focus on a piece of jewelry exclusive for their store, as well as communicate with Terrence J. Scully, President Target Financial and Retail Services, who explained they would expect to have a sample of the item by the end of the month for viewing.


 * Production:** Kathy Hall, in marketing, has reviewed what would be appropriate for Target and their expectations, which in turn sent me a report. The product the department found is a necklace with red target simple that has an arrow across the target. The production cost totals $ 2.67 per unit, the goal price for Target would be $ 3.20, where that gives us a 20% mark-up.


 * New Business:** I will be contacting other multinational enterprises and see their price cost for the materials are better then our smaller suppliers we work with. Also I viewed the supply and demand of each store locations and our staff we have is not sufficient enough. With my calculation, three new jobs opening will be available to keep production on task.

In two months you will be able to make a considerable conclusion for this advancement for the company. I will have all thorough reports, minutes of the meeting with the executives of Target, and investments report available at that time.
 * To: Dee Alves DeeAlves@WIC.com ||
 * From: Kathy Hall KathyHall@WIC.com ||
 * Subject: Holiday Sales Promotion ||

Dee,

In striving to make the most in sales in the upcoming holiday season, I would like to make the following suggestions for possible sales promotions. I feel the following ideas will appeal to our customers. Many had been mentioned in our internal suggestion boxes as well as our on-line box.


 * Offer free boxes and gift wrapping with proceeds to go a charity
 * Friends and family discount shopping day
 * Free Lay-A-Way
 * Buy One – Get One Free on various items
 * Offer a free gift with a select purchase

I know that these ideas will incur internal costs to initiate, but I feel that the added sales we have the opportunity to receive will out weight those costs. This will also give us to opportunity to let our customers know that we are listening to their ideas and are willing to put them into action. Please contact me to discuss the possibilities of enacting any of these suggestions; I look forward to hearing any additional ideas you may have. Thank you,

Kathy Hall Marketing Manager/The Walk-In Closet One Thayer Street/Providence, RI 02906 (401) 555-0003 (Office)


 * The Walk-In Closet**
 * One Thayer Street ****, Providence, RI 02906 **
 * (401) 555-0001 [|www.walk/in/closet.com] **

Date: November 28, 2013

To: Dee Alves, President

From: Bonnie Amadon, Vice President

Subject: Helping the community As you may have noticed by the financial report provided, since we opened, we have been running a profit which has been good for our company. I believe that since we have the resources, we should give back to the community and help the less fortunate.

Research shows that giving back is not only important for a business, it is also important to our customers. According to a 2010 philanthropic study done by Cone Communications, eighty-five percent of consumers have a more positive image when a business supports a cause they care about.

Charitable giving is also great for employee morale due to the fact that it brings them together while supporting a good cause that is separate from their everyday work life. From the marketing perspective, it can give the company a chance to reach out and connect with the community and other different platforms. From the financial perspective, cash contributions, donated space for events, or donating some inventory would be tax deductible equal to the fair market value.

By having quarterly events, we could help out the homeless or the less fortunate, underprivileged families, children, and the disabled. Four different charities and events that we could support are:
 * Walk-a-thon for cancer patients at Hasbro Children Hospital in March
 * Protection Drive for battered woman shelters in June
 * Food Drive for the homeless and unfortunate families in September
 * Santa Gift Drive for the children in need which would be in December

By supporting these organizations, our company would be receiving free and positive publicity while demonstrating our support and care for people in need.

There are other types of contributions that we could provide without hosting big events as mentioned above. The company can also sponsor a young student entrepreneur that needs experience in the field they are studying by offering an apprentice training program or even a full scholarship for a qualified candidate meeting predetermined criteria.

I am convinced that by giving to our community and helping people in need, we will enhance the productivity in our company and our employees will enjoy personal satisfaction. The final outcome would be that the company's profits would increase and we would be able to continue to give more to charities. If you feel you need more detail, you may contact me.

Sincerely,

Bonnie Amadon  Vice President

The Walk-In Closet Financial Report

Product A: Miscellaneous Departments

Produce B: All Jewelry Departments

Product C: All Clothing Departments

Product D: Customer Service Departments



** Cone Communications **

2010 Philanthropic Study

The following are the results stemming from a research conducted to see if “giving back to the local community”, would be important for a company. With significant improvement within only one year of collecting data, we have noticed there is only one category, however was still compelling, can testify that there is a positive feed back. As you may see, a company can benefit in many ways, whether it is monetarily or emotionally.

 Each of the following categories have a different outcome but still was an improvement:


 * * || Revenue ||
 * * ||  Customer Service { requesting of new product custom made} ||
 * * || Employee Performance ||
 * * || Advertisement ||
 *  * || Tax Break ||

MEMORANDUM


 * Date:** November 7, 2013


 * To:** Dee Alves President


 * From**: Bonnie Amadon, Vice President


 * Subject:** Valentine Promotion

Due to our well advertised Christmas promotion, sales have been increasing every week. To stay competitive, I feel we should start with the next major holiday promotion even if there is still three months before Valentine's Day.

By analyzing last month's and a part of this month's income statement, we have invested one-quarter of the advertising budget for the Christmas promotion, which up to now has a 5 % profit. Plus, there is another one and one-half months that still remains before the holiday season is done.

Historically, by doing that promotion, it has proven that this type of investment is beneficial for our gross profit. The Walk-In Closet will gain even more if we implement more time in promoting our products and advertising. This is why we should start now with our campaign for our new line of “Sweet Heart Nose Rings” with an offer of free engraving from that special significant other as a one-time deal promotion.

This ad will be a good opportunity to show that we are always adding new items to our array of merchandise, which will keep the clients interested and wanting to return to our store. Please contact me with your approval by November 11. I will then have the marketing department produce a sample for our viewing at our next team meeting.

**MEMORANDUM** As you all know, I recently attended the Spring Fashion and Accessory Show at Monarch Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The show ran from October 28th thru October 31st. The show featured fashions and accessories by many different designers and there were also many vendors looking to line up sales. I would like to inform you of a few of the shows highlights.
 * Date: November 6, 2013**
 * To: Dee Alves, President: Bonnie Amadon, Vice-President, Eileen Garcia, Finance**
 * From: Kathy Hall, Marketing Manager**

The show featured what it feels will be the current trends in fashions and accessories for the Spring Season. It appears that such colors as orange, green and yellow will be quite popular, with many designs in floral. Fashions were simple and layered with accessories such as scarves and belts completing the looks. The jewelry lines displayed consisted of more silver than gold pieces and it appears that bangles will be quite popular in both earrings and bracelets. Many of the designs also contained different shades of stones. Looking popular as well will be bracelets, pins (lapel and scarf) and watches.
 * TRENDS**

I was able to make some contacts with some new buyers who seemed excited at the opportunity to work with us in the future. I feel that the opportunity is there for us to get good pricing as well as deliveries from them in hopes of obtaining our business. Many of our previous vendors were there as well and I feel they may be more willing to negotiate with us knowing we have other avenues to pursue.
 * CONTACTS**

Please look at the some of the pictures I have attached from the show. I also brought back some swatches for us to use as a template for our in-store displays and I will bring them to our next team meeting. I look forward to sharing more from the show with you at that time. I feel quite energized and look forward to getting started on our Spring Line. Also attached is a copy of my expense report for your approval.

MEMORANDUM

To: Dalida Alves, President

From: Kathy Hall, Marketing Manger

Subject: Upcoming Events and Promotions and Holiday Season

As we approach the busy upcoming holiday season, I feel that we need to make sure that employees at all levels are fully informed and equipped to handle the increased business associated with it. Effective communication is imperative for us to achieve maximum profits during this time.

Customers are coming into our store and expect to find what they are looking for and have a positive shopping experience while doing so. This will keep them coming back as repeat customers and also spread the word about our wonderful store to future customers. To achieve this I have listed a few guidelines I would like to have followed.


 * Inventory should be continuously restocked daily before the store is opened.
 * Shelves and racks should be arranged orderly and housekeeping is of the utmost of importance at this busy time of the year.
 * Any inventory discrepancies should be reported to me as soon as possible so that I may contact the supplier and have the correct inventory re-shipped a.s.a.p.
 * Store display items may be sold but should be replaced with similar items a.s.a.p.
 * If we do not have an item that a customer is in need of please contact me via cell, e-mail or text at any time so that I can try to locate it for them as quickly as possible.

I feel that following these guidelines will result in a positive holiday season which we all will benefit from both financially and professionally. Please feel free to contact me with any additional ideas or suggestions.

The Walk-In Closet

M E M O R A N D U M

Date: November 12, 2013

To: Bonnie Amadon, Vice President

cc: Dee Alves, President Kathy Hall, Marketing Manager Cynthia Swiderski, Advertising Manager

From: Eileen Garcia, Chief Financial Officer

Subject: Response to Valentine Promotion Email

In response to your email requesting additional funds to support the upcoming Valentine’s Day promotion, I’ve reviewed the profit margin for the Christmas promotion and agree with your observation that our investment in the advertising budget was a success. It would be a wise decision to invest heavily in advertising and marketing for the upcoming Valentine’s Day promotion.

Advertising and marketing are extremely important parts of our continued success. Our aggressive campaigns have definitely contributed greatly to our increased profits and visibility in the marketplace. I will reallocate funds to the advertising and marketing budgets as requested for the upcoming Valentine’s Day promotion.

I am recommending that we allocate 20% of the budget to advertising and 10% to marketing. Since we are experiencing a high visibility promotion due to aggressive marketing, we should devote a majority of the funds to advertising. Kathy and the marketing team have done an outstanding job to date and I’m confident that they can build on the momentum going. It will be up to Cynthia and the advertising team to create an advertising campaign that will showcase our products and customer service.

It would be helpful to see what plans the advertising and marketing teams come up with at the November 30th meeting.

To: Dee Alves 

From: Eileen Garcia 

Subject: Holiday Party Guidelines

Hi, Dee-

The holiday season is here and it is definitely time to plan our Holiday party to show our appreciation to our hard working employees and enjoy a festive time of year. We are experiencing above average profits this season and it would be appropriate to allocate some of the profits to our employee party. Bonnie and Cyndi have already begun planning the event.

Although we had some issues during last year’s event that should be avoided this year, I strongly recommend that the following guidelines need to be followed. Bonnie brought up some good points in her email to Cynthia Swiderski and I would like to expand on some points:

By following the above recommendations, I expect our company to have a joyous and fun time without any liability for improper behavior and excessive alcohol consumption. We must safeguard our company and reputation by implementing these guidelines.
 * Drink tickets will be provided: Each attendee will receive two drink tickets for the beverage of their choice. Any additional beverages would be the responsibility of each person. As a company, we will not be responsible for any attendee that has consumed too many alcoholic beverages.
 * Taxi service on call: We will contract with Better Taxi Service to provide rides to any attendee that has exceeded the alcoholic limit and is unable to drive and will be invoiced after the event.
 * Guidelines distributed to staff prior to event: A guideline will be given to each staff person detailing time, place, appropriate attire, expected behavior and accommodations that are available.

I will forward the Holiday Party budget to Cynthia Swiderski per Bonnie’s request. I look forward to enjoying some holiday cheer with our staff.

Regards,

Eileen

The Walk-In Closet

M E M O R A N D U M

Date: December 3, 2013

To: Dee Alves, President

From: Eileen Garcia, Chief Financial Officer

Subject: Sales Income Report

This detailed Sales Income Report is being submitted to provide you with a better understanding of our sales revenue for the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2013. I am also providing you additional sales revenue information for merchandise by categories for the past three months for a quick review on our holiday seasonal promotions.

I’m very pleased to inform you that the actual third quarter sales total of $7,762,500 is an increase of 15% to projection. The marketing and advertising plans have played a significant role in the positive sales results. This significant increase to projection validates the teams’ hard work and dedication to our company. Following is a breakdown by month


 * ** Third Quarter FY2013 **

** Sales Forecast ** ||
 * || Projected  ||  Actual  ||
 * Sept || $ 1,750,000  ||  $ 2,012,500  ||
 * Oct || $ 2,000,000  ||  $ 2,300,000  ||
 * Nov || $ 3,000,000  ||  $ 3,450,000  ||
 * || $ 6,750,000  ||  $ 7,762,500  ||
 * || $ 6,750,000  ||  $ 7,762,500  ||

The following information, sales by merchandise categories for June - August 2013, shows very promising results and provides us with valuable information for upcoming promotions. Sales revenue from our Jewelry category equals 37.5% of total sales for this period. This category is definitely an area that we should concentrate on and consider for expansion. Our candles and pet fashion categories were 5.6% and 1.6% of total sales, respectively. Although these categories are significantly lower than the other categories, they play an important part of our appeal and recommend we keep them. It would be interesting to see if we can increase sales by offering additional items.


 * Sales by Categories ||
 * June - August 2013 ||
 * Categories ||  Quantity  ||  Value  ||   ||
 * Jewelry || 30,000  || $ 5,000,000 ||  37.5%  ||
 * Miscellaneous || 15,000  || $ 240,000 ||  18.7%  ||
 * Watches || 12,000  || $ 600,000 ||  15.0%  ||
 * Scarves/gloves/hats || 11,256  || $ 168,840 ||  14.1%  ||
 * Bags || 6,000  || $ 270,000 ||  7.5%  ||
 * Candles || 4,500  || $ 67,500 ||  5.6%  ||
 * Pet fashions || 1,256  || $ 18,840 ||  1.6%  ||
 * || 80,012  || $ 6,365,180 ||   ||

In conclusion, our sales revenue has exceeded our expectations. Our continued success depends on our innovative marketing and advertising plans as well as our dedicated staff and loyal customers. We should plan to continue with our strategic plan and also take the opportunity to plan for the future using the sales by categories information provided in this report.

VISION STATEMENT 11/9/13 negative message 11/15/13 negative message 11/15/13 Positive message kathy 11/9/13 Positive message Bonnie 11/9/13

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