OT - little help please!

[moogypop]

Good afternoon everyone!!(or good-whenever you read this!)

I need a little favour from some kind souls. It wont cost you anything but just a moment of your time to read this and reply to me and it could help me in a huge huge way.

I've been told today that I have an interview for a trainee store manager position for the company LUSH. If you havent heard of them before they are a fresh, handmade cosmetic and bath product company. If you live close to one then you might have encountered their delights. This is an AMAZING oppourtunity for me and if I was to ace the interview and get the position it would be a huge step up for me from my position from the current job I have in another retail company.

Part of the interview is to create an event for the company and I need to be very detailed in the presentation that I give about it. I want to create an event that can reward longstanding customers and also lush newbies. Something fun and rewarding but Id like to know realistically what people would like to do...

So heres some questions for you..
1. Do you know the LUSH brand? if so what do you like/dislike about the brand/prodicts?

2. Would you ever goto an event held in the LUSH store? Would you participate in a "make your own product" event at night or even when just passing the store during the day or a pamper night? how much would you be willing to pay for an event like this?

3. Can you please cross your fingers for me?! kinda freaking out here

[rcperryls]

and paws crossed for you! Can't help much with the first two questions as I am not familiar with the product or the store. I can tell you that depending on who I was with I might participate in an event about making a product if I were passing the store or just shopping. When I was younger I might have been willing to make plans to go to an event. Don't know whether or not I would be willing to pay for it. I would need more details and again, probably more likely to do that when I was younger. Sounds like a creative idea to me and a good way to get new customers involved and invested in the product.

When is your interview? Will send special thoughts across the pond that day!

Carole

[mauveme]

Good luck to you, but I can't help as I haven't heard of the product, not in Canada anyway.

[MaggieM1750]

I've seen it, walked by it, but have never gone in.
There is a store here at the Mall of America.
Cosmetics aren't really my thing.. I don't use any on a daily basis. Just a face wash in the shower, and a moisturizer and I am good to go. I like the products I am using and not in the market for another.

Having said that.. I am a sucker for the "lets do something" type of girls afternoon out. Make your own lotions and potions with a couple of friends.. sign me up. Even knowing full well, I will probably use the product 3 times.
I am in my 30's. Most of my friends have small children. Experience has shown me that "just meeting for coffee" dates with them gets cancelled more often than something they have signed up to do.. pottery class, wine and paint, cooking class. Those things tend to not be cancelled.

If I were a customer at this store, I would want them to keep a record of the products I've purchased, and my formula. Scents, colors, type of base (i.e. moisturizers, scrubs, shampoos.. whatever the base product was before I made it my own). That way, if I looved what I made, they could just look it up. I wouldn't have to remember (because I would never remember, or keep a card with my formula written on it, or bring back the bottle.. oooh thats an idea)

I wouldn't stop and do a "make my own" product during a regular shopping trip. It would have to be a party type event to get me to go. Thinking what I spend on a usual class.. its between $30-50.

Customer retention/ loyalty/ greeny points. What about some type of bottle return/ recycle/ refill program or event.

Having looked at the website- looking at the logo/ typeface/ label designs- I feel aged out of their target demographics. It feels younger than me. Trendy. Teen- 20ish brand.

Good luck on your interview. Interesting format

[moogypop]

^ Thanks this is really useful!

I know the logo/product branding might not to be to your taste I highly recommend you check the store near you out! The brand tend to use as many natural ingredients as possible and as you suggested they offer a rewards scheme for recycling their little black pots. Return some and you get a free gift!

Also Ive had a little look at the facebook page for the store that Im applying to, the events they do are really well priced. If its an evening pamper night or "make your own" event they tend to be under £10 so you might be able to find a cheap night for you and your girls to attend. Im looking at doing something with the event for mixed age group. Fun for mums, kids and teenage hipsters!

Also to the ladies saying theyve never heard of the company. They are famous for their "bath bombs" and other wacky bath products. They have lovely natural shower gels and other lotions and potions for a pamper night..

Oh wow I feel like im already a pushy sales person!! haha

[Fizzbw]

I know that LUSH use ethical products etc. and they are against fox hunting (not something I think is a good idea as it put me off, not particularly because I am pro hunting, but as much because it alienates part of the customer base and I think that's shortsighted)

Other than that I don't go to big towns enough to go near them, however I did see on at an airport and the smell was really troubling to me!! I'm a bit of a sensitive soul with smells though, even Body Shop is difficult. Citronella makes me nearly faint!

Best of best of luck for the interview, they will be lucky to have you.

Niki xxx

[Angel]

Fingers crossed
I know Lush. Sadly I'm a shower type, not a bath type and the things I like the most are the speciality bath bombs that I never use Especially ones with glitter in them But I'd go along to the event.

[Wen]

Hi Moogypop.

Well for starters, I see you mention "natural". Lush is not natural. They make fresh items, but it is not the same as natural.
And if you bring back 5 black pots and the toner bottles also count, you do not get a gift. You get a free face mask. That would be something they could expand a bit. Why not choose between a face mask and a piece of one of their soaps? The soaps are even much cheaper then the masks. But oh well, we asked Lush that many times, but no such luck till now.

I personally are not really interested in special organised things. So I cannot help you with that question.

And for your 3rd. Ofcourse I will cross my fingers for you! Good luck, and let us know how it went.

[Mystonique]

1. Do you know the LUSH brand? if so what do you like/dislike about the brand/prodicts?

Yes. I like that they're colourful and look natural. I dislike the intense smell.

2. Would you ever goto an event held in the LUSH store? Would you participate in a "make your own product" event at night or even when just passing the store during the day or a pamper night? how much would you be willing to pay for an event like this?

No because I can't handle the smell walking past the store, never mind going in. But if it were somewhere other than the store I love the concept of making my own product. How much I'd pay depends on the products on offer, the expertise in helping me make my own and my financial situ at the time. Definitely no more than $50Aud I would love the idea of this for a birthday party - me free if I could bring 5 friends at say $10-20 each.

3. Can you please cross your fingers for me?!

Be Calm and Promote.

[Amanda G]

I love the Lush shops and my main reason (apart from the fact that they smell lovely!) is that they are big supporters of the Big Issue (a magazine sold by homeless people). I always buy the Big Issue when I can and I also shop in Lush stores because they are a good ethical company. I hope you get the job. I imagine they will be great to work for....good luck.
Sorry but this hasn't really answered your question

[starshine123102]

1. I used to shop at LUSH a lot but I don't really think that their products are quite as "natural" as they claim to be. I had a friend who was in grad school for chemistry and when he looked over the ingredients it was chemical after chemical. Sure there are "natural" things in it but not as much as I would like. I would be EXTREMELY interested if it was 100% natural....AND effective.

That is another thing I didn't really like about their products. I love their fragrances, but I didn't really feel like a lot of the stuff worked.....shampoos and deodorants didn't do diddly. Soap were always nice but they dried my skin out. I do like, and still use their body lotion though (the banana one). It seems to work fairly well for me and I don't need to use a lot.

2. If they beefed up their use of only natural products and put on a class, you can bet you would find me there for a make your own class/project. I think it would be very fun, especially to do with a group of gal pals. I've always wanted to learn to make my own bath supplies but I've always felt overwhelmed at the process and how to make it with good, effective materials.

3. for ya!