We’re looking for feedback. If you have an internet retail
business, let’s talk.
One of the suggestions that has been made many times in the comments was
creating a WOLF STREET coffee mug or beer mug. That sounded like a fun idea,
but I have neither the time nor the talent to create things like this and
deal with the logistics. So I approached our iconic commenter, WOLF FEST name-tag creator and writer-cartoonist-artist
Kitten Lopez.
In our preliminary discussions, I said that we should do a coffee mug
because it’s simpler and a good place to start. But she instantly put her
foot down and said, no way, it has to be a beer mug. The theme on WOLF STREET
is a beer mug, she said, including the donation button at the bottom of each
article, where you can send “beer money” to support the site. End of
discussion. Kitten Lopez is now in charge of the entire project, from design
to execution. I just kind of nod and smile in amazement. And this is the
design (click on the image to enlarge it):
The design has two colors: white and black. The brown you see in the image
represents the beer in the mug so that you can get an idea of what it might
look like while the mug is still full. The design will wrap around the mug.
To see the whole design, you have to turn the mug, which is part of the fun.
This is the beer mug she picked out, a big (15 oz) sturdy glass stein with
a large base for added stability if things get a little iffy:
But the logistics are not fun…
This beer mug weighs quite a bit, and it can break during shipping.
Packing is going to be an important issue, and so are all the aspects of
taking orders, receipting payments, fulfilling orders, dealing with state
sales taxes however tiny they may be, and dealing with the fallout when a mug
breaks during shipping, or when a buyer tries to return the 10 mugs after the
party.
Here is the problem: I don’t run an internet retail business and I have no
infrastructure in place to handle any of these issues.
The main purpose for this project is to have fun – not to make a ton of
money. So far, we have come up with two potential solutions to the logistics
issues:
Solution 1: Arrange fulfillment with an internet retailer.
This internet retailer would take the orders, receipt the payments,
fulfill the orders, deal with returns, and handle sales taxes. We would like
for this retailer to be someone other than Amazon. It would be great
if we could keep the business in the community.
If you have an internet retail business that can
fulfill these types of orders, and you would like to discuss it, please
contact me either in the comments below and/or via email at
howlatwolfstreet@gmail.com
Solution 2: As a token of gratitude for large donations.
In this scenario, the mugs would not be sold at all, but would be
treated as a “gift” for people who donate a large amount to the site. By
large, I mean, for example, $100. Every donation is immensely appreciated.
And most donations are in the range you would expect. But there have been
readers who donated $100 and more, which is very generous and wonderful.
But there is little I can currently offer as a token of gratitude. The WOLF
STREET beer mug would be my token of gratitude.
In this “Solution 2” scenario, I would keep the beer mugs in the garage,
and every time such a wonderful donation comes in, I would contact the donor
via email to verify the shipping address, then I would pack the mug myself,
take it down to the UPS store, and ship it.
Obviously, I don’t have time to do that every day. But donations of $100
or more are not frequent, so I don’t think I will spend a lot of time dealing
with the logistics of sending the mugs.
This solution – the mug as a token of gratitude – would avoid some
internet-retail issues such as sales taxes (there is no sale) and returns (if
you don’t like it, just give it away or dispose of it properly).
Choices.
I will probably do Solution 2, even if we can get Solution 1 worked out.
So in this case, we would have in effect both solutions running in parallel.
However, if we cannot get Solution 1 worked out, the mugs will not be for
sale. They will only be available as gifts – because I simply don’t have the
time and expertise to start an internet retail business.
What do you think?
Please use the comment section below for ideas and thoughts on this.
Nothing — other than the mug itself and the design — has been decided yet. At
this point, we’re trying to get our plan together. And we’re hoping to get
some feedback.
And if you have an internet retail business and are interested in working
with us on this, or if you have specific ideas or advice, please let us know!
Enjoy reading WOLF STREET and want to support it? Using ad
blockers – I totally get why – but want to support the site? You can donate
“beer money.” I appreciate it immensely. Click on the beer mug to find out
how:
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