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Newsletter #730: The “Have a Kit” Issue

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Having a kit on hand can be a great way to help customers who may feel frustrated, confused, or stressed.

   1> Emergency gift kit
   2> Homesick kit
   3> New customer kit
   4> Check it out: Rasterized images from any picture

1> Emergency gift kit

Have something ready for the customer in desperate search for a last-minute gift. Up Down Cigar Shop here in Chicago has a ready-made gift kit for holiday shoppers that includes a sample selection of cigars and key accessories like matches and a cutter — all in a nice, pre-wrapped box. Build on this concept by always having several different gift packages on hand and advertising them throughout your store.

The Lesson: Saving the day for a stressed, last-minute shopper is a great way to earn a new fan.

2> Homesick kit

Make it easy for someone away from home to enjoy your stuff. Portillo's is an Illinois-based restaurant chain famous for their hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches. They only have a handful of locations outside the Chicago area, but anyone can enjoy their stuff because they ship sandwich kits — complete with their special gravy and bake-and-serve rolls — throughout the country. Parents send them to their kids at college to help remind them of home and it leads to a bunch of students at campuses everywhere talking about and sharing their Portillo's with friends.

The Lesson: If you're a small, local-only store or restaurant, use it to your advantage with a special package that reminds someone of home.

3> New customer kit

New customers can be overwhelmed with all the options you have, so help guide them with a new customer kit. Sam Adams offers sampler packs of their different brews, making it convenient to try out different flavors and find a favorite. Take this mentality to your business by having a special package, sampler platter, or recommended starter kit for new customers to help them get a true sense of your best stuff.

The Lesson: Make a great first impression and remove confusion with a new customer kit.

4> Check it out: Rasterized images from any picture

Ever wanted to take a one of your favorite photos and blow it up into a huge, mural-like image that you could put on your wall? This website lets you upload an image, print the resulting multi-page .pdf file, and assemble them into a poster up to 20 meters in size.

Check it out: http://homokaasu.org/rasterbator/

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