hi lovelies!  today we’re going to talk about using bundling as a market strategy.  also, i thought i would kick off february love with this valentine’s themed post!  i meant to start feb, 1- but what do ya know, it’s already the 3rd!

ruby red cupcake liners

bundling means combining two or more of your products in one sale.  items that look great together or are otherwise compliments work great for this (think all inclusive).  it’s common to offer the bundle at a slightly lower price than if your customer had bought all of the pieces separately, but is not necessarily a must.

hand stamped kiss bookend

bundling can be used as a marketing strategy to attract a broader range of consumers.  if your buyers are looking for deals, convenience or advice on which items compliment each other, bundled pricing can help aid in your consumers decision.

tiny heart pins – reclaimed leather

as an etsian (or any other indieprenuer) bundling your goods and prices can offer lots of benefits.  you can save on shipping, showcase your items together and potentially sell more to each individual consumer that comes your way.

blue fabric bird – i carry your heart -

by offering complimentary items as a bundle, your consumer will feel like they are not only getting a great deal, but may also be more inclined to buy the bundle then if all of the items were listed seperately.  think packaged deals, gift ideas, and matching sets.

pencil hearts

bundling is also a great way to (somewhat) disguise the prices of the individual items.  separately, a consumer may feel like one item is overpriced, while the other item is reasonable or even too cheap, but since they’re bundled the final price may feel  ‘just right’.

sweetie pie greeting card

bundles are a great way to simplify consumer’s purchasing decisions, when many people may not be able to ‘see your vision’.  i’ve caught myself doing this, knowing that this apron really looks good with this tea towel, but assuming that the customer would see that, i haven’t decided to bundle.  after researching for this article though, i’m going to work on adding bundles to my shop!  it never occur ed to me that some buyers may not want to spend the time trying to mix and match items, so it’s really a service to them in making it easy to see what goes together.

love birds letterpress

i’m sure for many shops, it will be hard to try to read your buyer’s mind in picking out complimentary items.  so, i would only offer the bundle as an option, and keep the items listed separately as well.  this way, you’re not being pushy, just creating combinations that you feel will enrich your customer’s browsing and buying experience.

ship valentine

if you decide to offer some sort of discount for your bundle, it doesn’t take much to excite a potential consumer.  things like a total savings of 10% off, free shipping or $10 off will help them feel like they are making a good decision.  discounts of any kind will help them see why buying a bundle benefits them.

vintage red cardboard valentine

so, go have fun mixing, matching and photography all of your bundled goodies!

custom mini embroidered banner

if you’re already bundling (yay for you!) what’s been your experience?

xoxo, bonnie

resources :: the art of pricing: bundle up on your way to higher sales

wrap up: {bundle} {consumer} {convenience} {customers} {etsy} {pricing} {sales} {shop help}

alive

slow time #2

untitled

nico and haku #2

i could look at *mayxxx*’s photostream for days and days.  so many feelings get evoked as i go from page to page, and by the time i’m done, i fell a little lighter, brighter and much much happier!

wrap up: {flickr} {floral} {flowers} {foliage} {inspiration} {photography}

when i started gathering my favorites from mykono’s shop to share with you, i couldn’t stop!  tab after tab, i just kept opening new images.  needless to say, i’ve included some of my favorites, but if you love whimsical jewelry, vintage goodies &  lovely hair adornments (not to mention amazing cake toppers!) you will enjoy browsing mykono’s shop. i love the vintage flair she puts on her jewelry and her shop is full of birds, owls, leaves and flowers- everything that i love!

elsewhere :: {shop 1} {shop 2} {facebook} {blog}

wrap up: {birds} {cake toppers} {flowers} {hair accessories} {jewelry} {leaves} {mykonos} {owls}

this is a cozy, cold winter day kinda meal – it’s delicious eggplant rolls with mini baked potatoes! you could certainly use pasta in place of the eggplant, but the eggplant gave this traditional recipe a new, yum-a-licious flavor.  i love the way ricotta & fresh tomato sauce go together, and this recipe filled our home with the smells of a hearty, home-cooked meal!

here’s the recipe!

wrap up: {baked} {eggplant} {potato} {recipe} {rolls} {vegetarian}

do you remember pins + paper? the lovely kristin hodges has offered to give away one of her beautiful cd folios! what better way to start your monday?

to enter:

visit paper + pins, pick out your favorite item(s) and come back here to leave a separate comment for each item(s) you like and why.  you may leave as many comments as you like, increasing your chances of winning!

to add to your chances, you may also leave a comment for each time you blog, twitter or facebook about the giveaway.  just direct them to this post, and let us know when and where you helped spread the word by leaving us a comment about it with the link!

the nitty gritty:

giveaway winner will be chosen by a using a random number generator.  you’ll have until 12:00 midnight est on sunday (2/7) and the winner will be announced on monday, 2/8.  you’ll have 24 hours to respond and claim your prize, and will then be able to specifiy which cd folio you would like!

have fun!

wrap up: {cd folio} {giveaway} {pins and paper} {prize} {win}

lately, i’ve been completely loving i am dorkas! marianna dorkas jamadi is a “finnish, indonesian, california born, brooklyn based, world bound, creative creature of anything but habit.”  that, i’ll agree with! her collaborative work with her mother on textiles and portuguese beau on jewelry have brought out influences from all over the world and into her stunning creations.

working with her mom on kitchen textiles has resulted in these stunning napkins, aprons and tea towels.  i love to see a family come together to create, and this collaborative, cultural adventure is a definite must see!

{shop} {blog}

wrap up: {aprons} {collabortive} {cultural} {jewelry} {kitchen} {napkins} {tea towels} {textiles}

happy monday!  how was your weekend?  mine was quite adventurous, but lots of fun.  some of you know that i went to asheville, nc for a children’s yoga workshop, and they got about 8 inches of snow while we were there! it was a bit treacherous at times, but so beautiful.  and, somehow we all managed to get to and from the workshop safely, so it turned out great!

when the snow started falling, the whole city fell quite.  it was so peaceful, just like everything stopped and you could hear  a pin drop.  i love the way an unadulterated fresh snow looks.

i have a thing for trees, this one just ‘spoke’ to me- ha!

even though it snows, the mail still goes..

we had to hike to our car every day, and the scenery along the way was so pretty!

just about the only thing still showing color

what was your weekend like?

wrap up: {asheville} {mailman} {snow} {tree} {walk} {yoga}