TheBuzz
TheBuzz
|
Cookie sales yield
sweet doughNever mind a future in sales. The members of Honolulu Girl Scout Troop No. 507 are tops right now.
Working the pre-order circuit and staffing booths at Honolulu retail locations in January, the girls earned the distinction of being the No. 2 cookie sellers in the nation by one of two Girl Scout cookie suppliers, Little Brownie Bakers in Kentucky.
The troop sold 8,028 boxes of cookies, according to Maureen Tsukimura, director of product sales for the Girl Scout Council of Hawaii.
"Statewide they're the number-one-selling troop," she said.
Collectively Hawaii's Girl Scouts sold more than 412,000 boxes of cookies during the three-week effort, supported by retailers such as Safeway, Times, City Mill, Foodland, Sam's Club, J.C. Penney and the military commissaries, Tsukimura said.
Troop 507 has 15 girls registered but 14 did the selling, according to Troop Leader Vicky Chiu-Irion.
In addition to the usual supermarket locations the troop had booths outside Daiei, Blockbuster Kapiolani and Nordstrom Rack. "That was a fun one," Chiu-Irion said.
"We work hard, plan, think and debrief. I try to make it a learning experience. If you don't ask, they won't buy," she said. The girls adapt their sales techniques and presentations "to see what works and what doesn't."
As for the locations, "We just look for new opportunities all the time -- you've gotta hustle."
They did, raising more than $20,000, some of which will finance a troop trip to California for a "bridging" ceremony on the Golden Gate Bridge to transition them from the Girl Scout "rank" of Junior to Cadet.
The girls also want to go to Disneyland. "But me being the teacher, they've got to learn something," Chiu-Irion said.
So they suggested shopping and the resolute troop leader responded, "I guess it could be an economics lesson."
As Troop 507 reaps its reward, another troop is advancing. The 32-member Junior Troop 187 led by Stephanie Wong came in second in the state, selling 5,688 boxes "and this was a Brownie troop last year," Tsukimura said.
Victory for LV
The big winner of Ala Moana Center's 2001 Sales Achievements awards was on familiar ground.The Louis Vuitton store last month won the award for best sales per square foot for the 10th year in a row.
"We're very pleased and excited," Louis Vuitton Hawaii General Manager Thuy Tranthi said. "It's really a testimony to the enduring strength of the brand and the quality of staff in the store."
Especially considering that the year 2001 did not include one of those legendary shopping sprees by a high-spending member of Middle-Eastern royalty. The sales were achieved "without a visit from the princess of Brunei," laughed Tranthi.
The princess has been known to drop as much as $30,000 in one visit to the Ala Moana store. Louis Vuitton has five other Hawaii locations; its newest opened last year at the Kings' Shops at Waikoloa Beach Resort.
The other big award, for best sales increase, went to Hawaii's Best Desserts.
By category, highest percentage sales increase recognition went to: Cinnamon Girl in Women's Apparel & Accessories; Gymboree in Men's, Children's & Family Apparel; The Slipper House in Shoes; Shades of California in Apparel & Accessories; Software Etc. in Hobby/Special Interests; Jewel Gallery by Macy's in Jewelry; Hawaiian Quilt Collection in Stationery/Card/Gift/Novelty; Thom's Barber Shop in Personal Care & Services; Petland in General Merchandise; Orleans Express in the Food Court; Assaggio in Restaurants & Fast Food; Hawaii's Best Desserts in Specialty Foods and Neiman Marcus in the Department Store category.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin.
Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached
at: eengle@starbulletin.com