Summer 2007 Survey Results We would like to start off by thanking everyone who completed our Summer 2007 Survey. We received 372 responses which we consider to be a very successful survey. The winner of the $100 coupon draw was Brenda Lee Cornish from Brampton. Congratulations Brenda!! The results of our survey will be shared with you and we will provide some feedback for your information. We are pleased to report that we had no negative feedback regarding our service and the majority of people had nothing but wonderful comments. Thank you! We are proud that our service has been rated so highly by so many. We will continue to keep this at the top of our priority list!! Our shop hours seem to meet the needs for 98.5% of respondents....for the few who requested later closing times we invite you to consider our weekend and holiday opening hours. If you have a particular need for a gift, and it is close to closing, call us and we will remain open for a while to accommodate you, if at all possible. Please note that in July and August we have extended our shopping hours on Friday evenings until 6:30 and Monday thru Thursday and Saturday until 5:30….Sunday remains 11am to 4pm. We have experimented with extended hours at other times of the year and have found that very few people take the opportunity to use those extended hours. The music that we play in the shop is well received with 99% positive feedback. We have always recognized the restrictions of a shop the size of ours. Although 83.5% of you felt comfortable with our space, 16.5% of those replying commented on the crowdedness, particularly during the busy season. Attempts have been made for expansion and we continue to address this issue. We own ¼ acre (the fenced area) and further expansion is impossible unless we acquire the land around us. In the meantime, if you wish to avoid the crowds, we suggest that you visit our shop on our less busy days, when your experience may be less restrictive. Avoid rainy summer days, especially on weekends….these seem to be particularly crazy days!! Come early in the morning just as we open, or on a hot weekday when we all know you would much rather be at the beach!! Also, the shoulder months of June and September provide a less crowded shopping experience. Otherwise, enjoy the shoulder-to-shoulder jostle. ? We will attempt to keep pathways clear and more accessible inside the shop! 91% of those responding have expressed positive feedback regarding presentation of product compared to 4.4% who felt there is too much stuff. That being said, we will continue designing displays that inspire your creativity and challenge your senses! In responding to some comments about lack of signage at and around the shop, we extend this explanation. The highway on which we are located is governed by the Ministry of Transportation and as such, there are strict rules for signage in regards to size and placement. We cannot have a location sign at the front of our building beyond what is currently there, nor can we have one at the end of our driveway. (We sometimes ignore the rules temporarily when we are having a sale!!). Sandwich boards along the side of the road are illegal and would be confiscated. Hopefully this clears up any questions regarding our signs for the shop. This brings us to the question of pricing. 79.7% of survey participants feel that our prices are just right, with 20% commenting that some products are priced too high-- and bless the one person that felt some items are priced too low!!!! We appreciate your feedback and as a considerable percentage of our respondents had concerns with pricing, we will attempt to address this issue to help you understand our process. 1. Our product comes from all parts of the globe- Asia, India, Europe, South America and North America. We attempt to bring in as much Canadian (we get many requests for more Canadian product) and North American product as possible, but this cannot always be done. As you know Canadian pieces have a much higher cost than off-shore products; eg. a $1.50 hook made in China compares to a very similar Canadian-made item at $7.95!!! We have found that some people will purchase the Canadian product, however, many of our customers opt for the $1.50 hook, which is why we attempt to provide the choice. So, although you may not wish to pay the higher price, there are some who choose to and therefore we attempt to have both on our shelves. 2. Across the retail gift industry, there is a standard mark-up process, which is used by most retailers. We follow this process, recognizing that there are some gift retailers who choose not to, thus undercutting their competition. We plan to be here for the long term, which means we must hire good staff at a fair wage and as owners we must also draw a wage. There are many small businesses that close after 3 or 4 years of operation because they cannot afford to hire staff and as a result burn themselves out or cannot afford to pay their own bills...statistics tell us that many small businesses will not make it through the first 5 years. We have now passed the 5 year mark, and our goal is to be here for a good time and a long time!! We pride ourselves on having knowledgeable, friendly staff and by employing these “gems” throughout the winter months as well as the lucrative times, we still have them when we need them most!! 3. A couple of items in particular that were mentioned frequently from the 20% who felt prices were too high, are our garden stakes and birdhouses. The majority of these two groups of product just happen to be created by Canadian artisans! As previously demonstrated with the hooks, Canadian- made product is going to have a higher price tag. Compared to birdhouses that we have imported from China, the Canadian-made items will also exhibit a much higher quality of workmanship. Locally-made product and quality are values that we hold dear and feel that the majority of our customers appreciate these values as well. We have always attempted to carry products in a wide price range at the best quality we can find, and we will continue to do so. 4. Each year that we have been in business we have recognized an increasing demand for higher-priced and larger pieces for homes and cottages. As our clientele evolves, we attempt to address all levels of budgeting. So, if you see items that you feel are priced too high, remember to ask yourself the following…a) am I comparing this item to the SAME item somewhere else b) is this item Canadian-made, or handmade and of higher quality than imported pieces c) am I making a comparison with a similar shop (in size and genre). 5. Larger country stores and ones with more than one location will have a greater buying power as they make larger purchases that come with better wholesale prices and this will enable them to have lower retail prices on their merchandise. Most stores and shops in our area will be small, with limited buying power and will usually be run by the owners. With all of this in mind, we will continuously evaluate our prices as product arrives, to be sure that we are being fair. We wish to serve ALL customers no matter the size of your decorating budget! We thank you for your input!! We feel that the survey was a great success and we are grateful to the 372 people who took their time to help us improve...Reviewing this information we feel that our efforts so far have been appreciated and that we are heading in the right direction. We will be able to set further goals to continue to improve what we do here as a team. We now know what you want, and will strive to be the best we can be!! THANK YOU…and please come see us soon!! Owners of The Old Tin Shed…
Dagny Musclow
Janis Whitehead
Moryah Musclow | 
