After Xiao Zhou stormed off, the atmosphere in the supply and marketing cooperative instantly became much more relaxed.
Director Wang couldn’t contain his excitement, as if he could already see the cooperative bustling with crowds like in the old days.
To be honest, ever since he took over this supply and marketing cooperative, business had been consistently sluggish.
Every month, he still had to spend money on stock, and he felt he was on the verge of having to close down.
Fortunately, there was some support from above, allowing him to keep going.
He let out a deep sigh, feeling that the pent-up frustration in his heart had completely vanished after meeting Ji Shuyu.
“Little sister, you mentioned an additional service? What’s this good method?” Director Wang asked eagerly. He was now ready to follow Ji Shuyu’s lead unquestioningly.
Just the fact that she could produce so many high-quality goods had earned his deep admiration.
Ji Shuyu smiled slightly and picked up a notebook from the side.
“Director Wang, having good products at low prices is the foundation. But to let more people know and be willing to buy, we need to add some small tactics. I call this ‘sales promotion.’”
“Sales promotion?” Both Director Wang and He Yuan beside him were curious about this new term.
“Yes.” Ji Shuyu nodded and began to explain in detail.
“Simply put, it’s about finding ways to attract people and encourage them to buy more and come back often. I’ll design a few plans for you, and we can test the waters with this batch of goods.”
“For example, this Friendship snow cream.” Ji Shuyu picked up the delicate small jar and waved it in front of the two men.
“Selling it alone is good, but the price is relatively high. Some aunties and sisters-in-law might hesitate to spend that much. Here’s what we can do: if you buy one Double Happiness large soap, and add ten cents, you can exchange for a small trial-size bottle of snow cream.”
“These small trial sizes have low costs, but they let customers try the product first. If they like it, they’ll come back to buy the full-size bottle next time. It makes them feel they’re getting a bargain, actually boosts soap sales, and also promotes the snow cream.”
Director Wang’s eyes lit up. “Oh! That’s a great idea! Every household needs soap. Adding just ten cents to get a bottle of snow cream—who wouldn’t want that?”
Everyone loves beauty. Supplies on the island were scarce. To get something like this, you’d have to pay someone to buy it from outside.
The round trip would take a month.
Never mind the cost; the key was having to wait so long.
Now that he had these items here, they wouldn’t need to go elsewhere anymore.
It’s mutually beneficial!
“Then there’s this denim.” Ji Shuyu touched the thick fabric.
“Selling the fabric alone, people will just buy enough to make one piece of clothing and that’s it. We can set a standard: for any single purchase of fabric totaling over three yuan, we give a small square handkerchief as a gift.”
“These handkerchiefs also have low costs, but they come in bright colors with printed little flowers or grass. Young women and girls are sure to like them. To reach the three-yuan mark, someone who originally only planned to buy two yuan worth of fabric might now buy an extra half-foot or add something else to their purchase. This is called a ‘spend-and-get’ gift. It encourages people to buy a little more, and we earn a bit more too.”
Director Wang nodded with a smile, fully approving.
Handkerchiefs are practical and pretty. Who wouldn’t want one for free? Spending a little extra for a handkerchief is worth it. This method can increase the value of each transaction.
In the past, they didn’t have these conditions, and the selection of goods was very limited.
But now it’s different. With so many types of fabric, you could get dizzy just from choosing.
Ji Shuyu then pointed to the vibrantly colored Dacron floral fabric.
“This material is fresh and pretty, but the quantity is relatively limited. We can create a special offer. For the first three days after restocking, we’ll limit the supply to ten feet of this floral Dacron per day, selling it at our wholesale price, which is considerably cheaper than the market rate.”
However, each person is limited to purchasing three feet. Director Wang, think about it—wouldn’t the young women and girls have to come early and line up to get their hands on this cheap, trendy fabric?
Once there’s a line, the entrance to the supply and marketing cooperative will be bustling, and the place will be lively.
When people see so many others rushing to buy, they’ll think these must be good products. Even if they miss out on the limited-time offer, seeing that other items are also reasonably priced, they’ll likely buy something else on the spot.”
This is called limited-time special offers—gathering crowds and boosting sales.
After all, people tend to follow the crowd. Seeing so many gathered here, they naturally want to join in.
Director Wang listened, his heart surging with excitement, as if he could already see the long queues forming at the cooperative’s entrance.
“Yes, yes, yes! This move is brilliant! The scarcer it is, the more people want it. Those lining up are living advertisements!”
Hearing Director Wang’s approval, Ji Shuyu smiled and presented her final point.
“Finally, how we display the goods also matters.”
Ji Shuyu drew a simple diagram in her notebook.
“Group the items women use—snow cream, scented soap, mirrors, combs—together. Call it the ‘Beauty Corner.’
“Place daily necessities like enamel mugs, thermos bottles, and washbasins together. Call it the ‘Home Living Area.’
“Put fabrics, needles, thread, and buttons together. Call it the ‘Sewing Section.’
“This way, people can easily find what they’re looking for. And while browsing, someone who initially only wanted to buy a mug might see a pretty washbasin nearby and end up buying that too.”
Director Wang nodded repeatedly. “Ah, little sister, how does your mind work like this?”
These ideas alone made him itch to try them out immediately.
He needed to hurry and hire more staff to implement what Ji Shuyu had suggested as soon as possible.
Ji Shuyu closed her notebook, her smile confident.
She had a good friend in marketing. Besides, she visited supermarkets weekly herself.
Seeing enough of these tactics, she’d figured them out.
Customers might think they’re getting a bargain, but in reality, the sellers never lose.
They wouldn’t do business at a loss.
“Director Wang, this is just the beginning. Once this batch of goods starts selling, based on feedback from the villagers, we can introduce things like membership points or market-day specials.
“The core idea is to make everyone feel that shopping at our cooperative isn’t just about good products and fair prices—it’s also about occasionally getting little surprises and benefits. That way, they’ll naturally want to come back often.”
The supply and marketing cooperative was, after all, established by the authorities, and these measures were for the people’s benefit.
No one would object.
Her partnership with Director Wang could continue long-term.
She certainly hoped his business would thrive.
Only if he made money could she make money.
“Alright! I’ll follow your lead!”
Director Wang was now utterly impressed by Ji Shuyu.
This wasn’t just Regiment Commander He’s wife; this was the Goddess of Wealth for the supply and marketing cooperative!
He Yuan listened quietly nearby, watching his wife explain those novel and practical ideas with clarity and vibrant enthusiasm. His eyes held admiration and a faint smile.
He knew Shuyu was capable, but he hadn’t realized her mind was filled with so much business acumen.
At this moment, He Yuan felt that the previous image of Ji Shuyu in his mind was gradually fading.
Only the woman before him grew clearer and clearer.
She was confident, intelligent, and radiant—impossible to look away from.
Even without him, she could live a prosperous and thriving life.
Because she simply wasn’t the type to endure a stifling existence.
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