What do your customers really think anyway?

We all know what we know and we don’t know what we don’t know.  Simple, right?  The internet, however, has really changed the “what we don’t know” and transformed it instead into the “what we can know but don’t want to”.  I recently came across this great article on the American Express website that has some good tips on how exactly to understand where your shortcomings might be with your customers by using short and simple surveys.  Knowing after all, is the first step, right?

An excerpt from: 4 Simple Waysto Find Out What Your Customers Really Think  by Rieva Lesonsky


Get online. Consumers overwhelmingly prefer tech when it comes to surveys; 91 percent cite “smartphone,” “Web” or “SMS” as their preferred methods. Just 4 percent like mail in surveys, and a mere 1 percent want to be surveyed by phone. There are many low- or no-cost online survey tools out there. Zoomerang  is one I like that lets you do surveys online, on Facebook, or by mobile device and offers both free and premium plans.


Keep it short. How many times have you started to take an online survey only to get bogged down in a seemingly endless series of screens? The Cint survey found shorter is better. Forty percent of consumers will spend one to five minutes taking a survey; 30 percent will devote up to 10 minutes; and just 13 percent are happy to spend over 20 minutes. (I’m surprised that number is so high.) Remember, people are busy, so keep it short and simple.


Offer incentives. If your survey is short and focused on a topic (like customer satisfaction) that customers believe will ultimately benefit them, you may not need to offer a reward. But if you’re conducting a lengthier survey or doing market research to assess a product or service launch, some type of “carrot” might be necessary. Money (no surprise) is the best motivator for 55 percent of the respondents in the Cint survey, while 34 percent want free products and 6 percent are okay with vouchers. (If you offer a chance to win a prize, make sure you are following contest/sweepstakes rules in your state.)


Act on what you learn. There’s no point to doing a survey if you ignore the results, and keep doing what you’ve always done. Plus, in today’s socially-connected world, people who’ve taken the survey are likely to talk about it. Assess your survey results and use your customers’ feedback  to make changes where they’re needed. Even if the results show that your customers are happy, you’re not home free. You need to regularly poll your customers to keep them satisfied.

In addition to surveys, make sure you have a google alerts set up for your name as well as your store.  It also is a good idea to set these up for your top selling lines.  A great blog post or email to your customers can be simply letting them know about the great things your highly curated lines are up to these days (followed by some sort of incentive to get them in your store of course doesn’t hurt either!).

Feel free to leave any other ideas below in the comments section!

Kate

Employees – your first brand ambassadors

Recently I read an article about the 5 fastest ways to turn offyour customer and they were all related to the experience (or lack there of) provided by the employees.  This is an interesting concept since having physical sales people is one way to differentiate a brick and mortar retailer from its online counterparts (see Tuesday's post). Just for fun, how many of the 5 ways apply to your store?

1. Employee Chatter 

We’ve all been privy to the date that so and so had last weekend or current drama in someone’s life but when serving a customer, this is clearly not what they want.  They have their own drama and are coming to you to forget about it.  Let them and make sure your staff is on board.

2. Phone etiquette

Although answering the phone is not a huge priority for a small retailer.  Make sure a few things happen.  1. Train your staff about answering the phone.  Tell them everything from exactly what to say:  Thank you for calling (insert store name here).  This is (insert name here) how may I help you? 2.  Make sure the message on the machine addresses a. why you can’t answer the phone and b. basic details they might be calling about such as hours, location, and basic directions.

3. Mobile ADD

100% of the time – no phones allowed on the sales floor – period!  No exceptions!

4. Inconsistencies

There is nothing worse then inconsistent service.  Make sure that your employees know the right ways to handle both everyday situations as well as the sticky ones.  Roll play during weekly staff meetings is a great way to address any issues that have come up as well as a practical way to inform the staff about how they should handle certain things.

5. Greeter

Somebody must say hello when a customer walks in the door.  If Walmart can do it, anybody can.

How did your store fare?  Do you know for sure?  Try calling the store and see what happens – just for fun!

Its one thing to know what rules to make but the more difficult side is how to train your employee to go from just that to a brand ambassador.

Achieve Results.  Empowerment, training, and goals go a far way.  If an employee owns a project or at the very least feels as though their work and ideas lead to the ultimate success of a project, they are more likely to jump in and foster the results that you as a business owner wants.  While there is a lot written about goal setting and how to actually achieve results, I like the SMARTE goal setting method:

            S= Specific.  Goals need to be clearly stated 1-2 sentences

M= Measureable.  A goal is measureable if a specific outcome is to be achieved.  The more quantified a goal, the more measurable the outcome will be.

A= Acceptable.  Goals must meet the criteria of what your store or brand values.  If the goal is not inline with these things, it’s not worth having.

            R= Realistic.  A goal must be attainable even if it’s a stretch.

E= Extending.  It should be realistic but difficult to achieve.  A goal should be stretching a person’s capabilities.

            *=Within an appropriate timeframe.  There always needs to be a deadline.

Maximize Performance.  Make sure the reward is worthy of the effort you desire your employees to put forth.

Recognition.  Make sure that the effort an employee is displaying is being rewarded and noted along the way.  This goes a long way and is extremely powerful.

Enliven Energy.  If a customer wishes to spend time in your store, that is a good thing.  If your employee wants to spend time there, it is a great thing.

Leverage Strengths.  Sometimes what you the boss wants someone to be good at and what they are actually good at don’t mix.

Make meaning.  People are employees and as people we all want to be part of something special.  Be open and honest with your team about sales goals and certain accomplishments that you are striving for and include them on the brainstorm.  If they feel part of a whole, they will put forth their best effort.

Enhance well-being.  Make sure that all aspects of a toxic work place are dealt with.  Sometimes this may be an employee, a customer, or a vendor but whatever it is, don’t be afraid to take action and let your employee’s know that you have their back.

It’s important to take some time and have some goals.  That’s the only way to improve on last year’s sales and to figure out exactly how that will happen.

Good luck!

Bricks AND clicks?

In 1744, Benjamin Franklin sent out the very first catalogue in the United States selling scientific and academic books.  Next came Hammacher Schlemmer  In 1848, and then the true pioneer of modern day direct to consumer cataloging, Montgomery Ward in 1872.  Why is this important?  Multi-channel retailing has been in existence for a very long time however, the advent of the internet has made the scope and reach of “omni” retailing more prevalent.  So the question is, why has the internet got everybody so scared?

Believe it or not, brick and mortar retailers have co-existed with these other types of retailers for longer then we typically consider.  In an era dominated by online shopping, mobile technology, tv shopping, catalogues, and other types of media shopping events, it’s easy to feel as though the brick and mortar retailer is being targeted for extinction.  I however, don’t think that will ever happen simply for the reason that people like to shop, immediate gratification is king, and nothing replaces the sense of touch.  Here are some tips for playing to the strengths of your brick and mortar store.

1. Diversify.

Diversity can be in the form of products, store fixtures and layout, or the way you create a customer experience.  Change things up every once in a while as far as product lines go but also in way of promotions, events, and store partners.  Events drive a lot of business for most retailers and help create the certain “experience” that your customer craves when visiting a boutique (afterall, that is one of the main reasons they shop with you and not at Macy’s, right?).  Partner with local charities, have a new season kick off tea with your top 10% customers, how about a wardrobe consultation from an expert, give a seminar on the best trends you found from fashion week.  Do things a little differently the way only a brick and mortar store can.

2. Customer loyalty

Customer loyalty and experience go hand in hand.  If you don’t have a loyalty program, try outsourcing.  There are some great technology companies starting to blaze this trail for you.  Belly is a great Chicago startup doing some amazing things with customer loyalty programs.  Additionally, spend some time researching some innovative retailers and their customer loyalty programs such as Lululemon’s ambassador program They seek out their “influencer” customers and empower and incentivize to influence their friends, customers, and family about the Lululemon lifestyle.

3. Inventory management and vendor relationships

“Whatever priorities retailers set, their physical stores are likely to shrink as the share of sales made online keeps rising. Retailers in America have a surfeit of space. Between 1999 and 2009 the amount of shopping space per person boomed from 18 square feet to 23 square feet. The productivity of that commercial acreage slumped after the financial crisis and shows no sign of recovering.” Taken from TheEconomist

As offered in the quote above, an increase of 5 square feet per person in 10 years is astronomical.  This increase in spending has been self regulated and accelerated through the economic downturn.  The shrink in spending really leads one to think that every inch of space in a boutique counts and how that space is utilized will determine the outcome of the retailer.  Is square foot analysis a metric you look at monthly?  Maybe it should be if it isn’t.

Supply and demand is an economic law that is not easily understood and most likely, this is the most challenging part of your business.  Keeping the right amount of inventory in stock as it relates to your customers is extremely hard to predict especially as projections must be made up to a year in advance.  In order for the relationship to work for both the retailer and their supplier, both parties must try to understand the difficulties of the other party.  Working with your vendors is a must in this economy as having the right inventory in stock at all times is key in this very digital age.  Mobile technology companies are starting to spring up and go after unsatisfied brick and mortar customers who would like to make a purchase but either a. the item is missing from the store’s shelf in the size or color they need or b. they will help the customer find the lowest price either online or around the corner.  At The Stock Flock, we attempt to give the power back to the retailer while helping them to use the internet to their advantage.  By placing available inventory online from existing vendors, The Stock Flock allows the store to complete a purchase regardless of whether or not the item is hanging on the floor. 

Here at The Stock Flock, we encourage all retailers to embrace technology and use the benefits that come with a brick and mortar store to your advantage.  Check us out and if you like what we do, feel free to send us your contacts at your vendors and we’ll do the talking for you!

Vanity Sizing

While I think the discussion is a good one and important to make a decision about, the premise in the below article is flipped in my experience. Typically, designer brands tend to have smaller sizes and mass merchants more vanity sizing.  What do you think?

1.  More expensive brands run larger - agree or disagree

2.  Having a standard size guide would make my business better - agree or disagree

3.  Vanity sizing is helpful - agree or disagree. 

Clothing designers appeal to women’s ego with vanity sizing

BY SARA BAUKNECHT February 29, 2012 11:33AM

The retail world is flooded by a sea of clothing sizes. To find the right one, women must tread through “misses,” “petites,” “pluses,” “juniors” and more, depending upon the store. And even after discovering a favored fit in one brand, the same woman may balloon to a larger size or slip effortlessly into a skinny-minnie one by another designer.

In many cases, this seesaw in sizes is the culprit is vanity sizing, or the fact that the U.S. government doesn’t enforce a standard of measurements for women’s clothing sizes .

A standard measurement chart does exist, but it may be next to impossible for the government to require designers to stick to it, says Paula Minydzak, an adjunct instructor in fashion for the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, who also is a tailor at a Men’s Wearhouse.

Standardizing sizes can complicate transactions between domestic and foreign designers whose countries sometimes have different measurement charts, she says. It also may turn some women off from shopping at first if they wear a larger size under the government-regulated measurement chart.

“It’s the equivalent of sticker shock,” Minydzak says.

So for now, the size guessing continues, which has its pros and cons.

 For designers, the flexibility to come up with their own sizes helps them create and market clothes for their target consumers — and their egos.

“It’s easier for someone to sell clothes when they make people feel good,” Minydzak says. 

“One of the best ways to do it is make a woman feel like she wears a smaller size.”

But toying with people’s perceptions of their body image can have consequences. In 2005, Kinley conducted a study in which 75 women between the ages of 19 and 58 were instructed to try on different sizes.

“What I found was a strong age relationship,” she says, adding that women in their 20s seemed to care more about fitting into a smaller size than those in their 40s or older.

In another study, from 2003, Kinley and some students measured about 1,000 pairs of pants by different designers of similar styles and cuts and found “statistically significant differences within some size numbers,” she says. She also observed that clothes by designers with higher price points tended to be more generously cut, with Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein among the most forgiving.

Minydzak has noticed that clothes by more affordable brands tend to run more narrow in the sleeve and leg.

Many brands view their sizes not as mind games but as ways to better relate to shoppers’ needs, wants and body types.

For clothier Anthropologie, the goal is to sell quality clothes with consistent sizes that appeal to the body shapes and lifestyles of its target customer base of 28- to 45-year-olds, says Wendy Wurtzburger, chief merchandising and design officer.

“Our intention is to have a size grade for her that is flattering but is honest and isn’t trying to make her feel like something she isn’t,” Wurtzburger says.

Other stores have disregarded the typical double-digit numerical-size chart altogether. Sizes used by the clothing chain Chico’s range from 000 to 4.5, with the former being for women who usually wear a zero and the latter for a size 22.

Studies have found that the public wants clothing labels with more sizing information on them, Kinley says. Stores such as Macy’s and Lane Bryant recently have launched Web components with tips on what sizes, brands and styles may be best suited for their customers.

But whatever designers come up with next, comfort and satisfaction — not size — should be the motivation behind a purchase.

“We have to use sizes as a guide but respect the fact that that brand does not mean you are that size,” Minydzak says. “You are your size. Your body is your body, and there is no brand or no standard set of measurements that is going to be made exactly for you as a woman.”

The role of a business owner

For most of us, it’s been a while since we sat down and asked ourselves big questions about our business.   I’m not talking about the kind of questions like, am I going to make payroll, I’m talking about strategy, your customer, and last but now least, are you happy doing this?  I recently read a blog post on paraschopra.com about the three simple questions to ask yourself to validate your start up idea, but I really think some of these thoughts also apply to existing businesses and are important to think about at least once a year.

Strategy

I hate the saying: you need to work on your business not in it.  Probably because this was one of my biggest downfalls at my first company, Kate Boggiano.  Owning my own clothing line was great, but because of lack of funds, I wasn’t able to staff it like I should of which meant I was the designer, lead sales person, technical designer, production manager, and would even ship packages.  Looking back on it now, these things were totally necessary for me to do in order to get things done, the traditional way.  Sometimes in an industry, the traditional route isn’t the one that is most profitable or accessible to you and your situation, and THAT’S OK!  There is no “right” way to go about making a profitable business – but there might be a “right” way for you.  Case in point, when I started Kate Boggiano, I was determined to produce a tight 2 season line that had some of the best blouses in the business.  Many years, stores, and sales reps later, I ended up designing a HUGE line that I didn’t really believe in anymore because I listened to what everyone else was saying and I thought I needed to have 40 SKU’s/season in order to sell into enough stores.  With a staff of 3, this made life unbearable and I burned out as did my staff.  I think we would have been more successful, believed in the brand more, and done an all around better job if I would have had the courage to do things differently, kept the line small but kick ass, and believed in the power of supply and demand.  In an industry as old as fashion, things will change eventually.  We are seeing it now with the new mobile technology especially with the era of the internet upon us.  Soon, customers will be able to walk into a store, take a photo of a clothing item, and be able to compare prices against everyone else on the internet.  Scary but it’s coming!  The Stock Flock is addressing this problem from an inventory point of view.  By giving stores the most up to date inventory availability, we are allowing the store and the brand to take advantage of the internet before the end customer is able to.  My advice is to take some time and really think about ways in which you think you could make a change and add an efficiency or decrease the amount of steps needed to complete a task.  You’ll be amazed how much taking time to strategize will save in time and money which will equate to a bigger contribution to the bottom line.

Your Customer

In fashion, we are really good about painting a picture of who our “girl” is.  I can’t tell you how many design meetings I’ve been in where we’ve painted an elaborate picture of what our downtown, 20 something, brunch loving, gallery opening, friend influencer is doing at the exact moment when she finds our must have blouse hanging in the coolest boutique on her vacation to Sonoma, CA.  Sound familiar?  The funny thing about these moments is that who much time do we spend thinking about how many of these “girls” there actually are and exactly how are you going to interrupt their life to reach them in a way that will make them buy your awesome blouse instead of your competitors.  On the flip side, having generic looking clothes that anyone can find anywhere is targeting a market that is too big and hard to reach because you have created very little differentiation between your brand and the others hanging on the rack.  As a small or medium size company, knowing who your customer is, how many there are, and how to approach market penetration of this customer will be some of the best thought out strategy sessions there are.  After all, if you’re looking for the girl in the example, do you really want to spend a lot of money at a Midwest tradeshow?  Probably not.

Do you wake up on fire about your business, everyday?

This is tricky but important to think about.  Owning a business is one of the bigger commitments in life and liking your business and the industry in general is very important.  Most likely there will come a time when you find yourself really disliking something you are doing.  For me, collecting money from my late paying stores was the absolute worst.  I found that for me, it strained my relationship with my stores, made me feel poorly about the state of the business, and I found myself wasting a lot of time in preparation to make those tough phone calls.  After a lot of thinking and researching outsourcing, factoring, and ACH, I decided to train someone else to do it within our company and it made all the difference.    If there is something you know you don’t look forward to and it’s disrupting your work flow, figure out a way to get it off your plate.  Sometimes the anxiety it causes is not worth the money you save by doing it yourself especially if the anxiety can stack up in such a big way that it changes your overall feeling about your business.  Additionally, your strengths as a business owner are most likely well developed and your time will be better spent performing these strengths as they will be the differentiation between you and your competition.

While owning a startup, small, or even medium size business is fast paced and exciting, it’s very important to take yourself out of the day to day and strategize.  Afterall, you are the leader of the organization and not only do you need to figure out how to get things done, it’s also important to see things coming before everyone else.

Happy Leading!

Kate

Quick tips to increase your stores revenues

Retail is hard and sometimes very unreliable.  Here are some quick tips to make sure you maximize all of your opportunities and boost your store revenue.

1. The cash wrap.

It’s the oldest trick in the book and one followed by almost all stores selling all kinds of merchandise.  How often do you change up your product assortment at the cash wrap?  Try some low price but high value/need items such as fashion tape, or your best selling shape wear line.  Special and unique jewelry also does well such as fun cocktail rings displayed in a way that encourages the customer to try them on and get attached while they are waiting to pay.  Cards such as birthday, thank you and any other occasion that your customers might be purchasing a gift for is a no-brainer.  Just make sure you offer free gift wrapping as well.

2. Customer notes.

Everybody loves to be recognized.  Train your staff to do this as well as keep notes on their size, their likes and dislikes, special upcoming events, and their favorite brands.  When to new arrivals come in, search your customer database for customers who might like that item.  An excel spreadsheet is a fast and easy way to organize these preferences if your POS doesn’t have this capability.

3. Team training and rewards.

From time to time, customers may be reacting to how your staff is treating or neglecting certain product.  If you have merchandise that is not selling and you can’t understand why, tell your staff more info about it.  Run a contest with the sales team and reward the highest selling staff member with a special treat.  You’ll be amazed what a little motivation does to that slow moving item on the floor.

4. Mark down slow moving items.

We all make mistakes from time to time and every once in a while, your customers may not love an item as much as you did.  After you exhaust the avenues of extra training, incentives, and possibly even a swap with the manufacturer depending on time, terms, and relationships, markdowns are needed and important.  Sometimes inventory turn is more profitable and important then just looking at straight margin for the long term health of the store.  Additionally, markdowns are the fastest way to freshen up the store and make everything look new again once the items are gone.

5. Mind your best sellers, always!

It is so important to understand what customers are reacting to and making sure you have enough of it to fill their demand.  Keep an eye on all your best selling items and make sure to stock them accordingly.  Best sellers are your clearest way to high profits and a good business as they become almost certain cash.  Why wouldn’t you keep them in stock – it’s a no brainer! 

6. Automate your reorders.

Being able to react quickly to customer needs and wants is really important.  With new mobile technology and extensive internet availability, it is more important now then ever to be able to transact with a customer at the exact moment he or she wishes to purchase.  If you allow them to walk out of the store without an item they want, competition is so fierce that most likely, you’ll loose them forever.  Check out www.thestockflock.com and sign up to find out when our automatic reorder system will be available.  It will change the way you manage your inventory and increase sales in the process. Plus it’s FREE!

To higher revenues!

Kate

The evolution of the POS (point of sale).

Back in January, I decided to fly to NYC for a day and walk the expo floor of the National Retail Federation's Big Show.  First off, that was the biggest show I have ever attended in any industry and second, if you are in the business of selling anything, I suggest subscribing to their newsletter if you don't already (and while you're there, check out shop.org).


 I attended the show so I could attain some information about points of sale and more specifically, if the current POS is moving to a more "open" format.  My idea about The Stock Flock is to one day partner with a progressive POS provider and have our database pre-loaded with that POS partner's package.  The exciting point is that yes, all new POS systems are open and many of the old have API's!  Great news, but what does this mean for you?


1.  Shift in the market is towards open, cloud based POS systems.  This is great because the days of having a server run your business is close to being over.  Cloud technology is faster, cheaper, more efficient, and has the ability to be accessed from anywhere (think checking sales on your iPhone while lying on a beach without the headache of calling in).  
2.  Shift towards handheld devices.  These have been around a long time especially in electronic stores such as Best Buy, but did you ever think of arming your staff with a iPhone, iPad or some other handheld credit card swiping machine?  I think these are great for retail events out of the store as well as big sales or special occasions.
3. Integration with cross-channel partners.  Gone are the days of the excuse that I don't want a website because my inventory online won't match what's going on in the store.  The more open POS systems will be able to integrate your inventory into the backend of your website.  


What is the current POS systemt you use in your store?  What are the good things and the items that you wish you could change if given the opportunity?  Let us know!  


For all inventory availability issues, check out our solution and let us know if we could help make your store more profitable!


Cheers!
Kate

Survival of the fittest

Founding, owning, and operating a boutique or clothing company during this economic downturn is not something for the faint of heart for sure.  It’s not just about pretty clothes it’s about business and adapting your strategy based on what works and what doesn’t.  We have indentified two basic categories that lead to success and failure and thought we’d share these with you.

Things you can control

            Expenses:  If you boil the business down, it comes out to be Revenue – Expenses = profit.  Expenses are the fastest easiest way to control that equation and our favorite point to start for everybody is the real estate game.  Negotiate the rents until there is nothing left to negotiate then be ready to leave if that is an option for you if you can’t get the rent where you need it to be.  Some landlords are now even willing to tie your rent to a percentage of your sales.  Anything less then 12% is considered a pretty great deal and under 10% is stellar!  There are other expenses to review from labor costs and conversions to simple things such as getting the best deal on hangtag printing.  The lower the expenses, the greater the profit!

            Promotions/Marketing: In the above equation, promotions and marketing efforts should help increase your revenue.  However, beware of common mistakes that are made in marketing such as forgetting to put a phone number or address on a piece of collateral.  Click here for a great list of three examples of poormarketing. 

            Training a great staff: A great staff is easier said then done.  We found these great tips to help with some ideas.   

            Vendor relationships:  The importance of finding both a great product and a great vendor can never be overvalued.  The WallStreet Journal had some great points on the importance of the relationship between a vendor and their merchant.

Product mix:  If you are a specialty boutique, product mix is easily the number one differentiator from your competitors.  Once you get the staff and vendor relationships down, your expenses, product mix, and promotions/marketing need to be constantly reviewed and worked on in order to have the best business possible.

           

Things you can’t control:

            Losing customers – Although your marketing and promotions, having a great staff, and having the best mix of product possible greatly improve your chances, there still might be the possibility of loosing a customer along the way.  We like to bring this up because this is a different thought process then usual

How to determine the cost of one lost customer.  We estimate that up to 20% of ales are lost on a weekly basis and that’s just sales!  What if you lost a first time customer’s sale?  Do you know how much that would be worth to you?  Let’s do a little back of the envelope math, shall we?

1.       What is your average sale?  example:  $75

2.       How many times/yr does your average customer buy?  ex:  3

3.       What is the average lifetime of your customers (how many years)?  ex:  3

So now, let’s multiply #1x#2 then take the answer and multiply again by your 3^rd response.    Total=$675

Total is pretty high, right?  Well the other thing to consider is that in the age of social media, that one customer is most likely going to tell their friends about their experience. So let’s pretend they tell 5 friends that are actively listening and 3 of them were thinking about shopping in your store but now are not.  The actual total of that 1 lost customer is really $2700 (675x3 + 675).  Pretty important!

This leads us to the secret and deadly player that isn’t mentioned in our simple equation but is eluded to = INVENTORY.  How to you handle Inventory?  It’s all about the inventory turn, having the right product mix, and having access to the inventory that your suppliers have on hand to reduce the amount of lost transactions that occur due to insufficient inventory.  The Stock Flock offers a solution to the last piece of the puzzle and will help you better manage your inventory and capture more customers.

Enjoy!

“There are many ways to succeed, but there’s only way to fail—financial.”

Welcome to The Stock Flock!

The Stock Flock, is developing an online inventory database to help women’s clothing boutique owner’s capture more sales thru instant access and direct purchase of their manufacturer’s inventory in real time at the point of sale.

Started in December 2011 by fashion entrepreneur Kate Mikelsons, The Stock Flock was created to help make efficiencies in the fashion industry that are beneficial both to designers and manufacturers as well as the stores they sell to.

Here’s a little peak into what we do for our Stores.

We look forward to sharing our progress.  Don’t forget to sign up to receive more details (especially if you are a designer or manufacturer) on our splash page http://signup.thestockflock.com/