Heather,

I agree that some points raised in this thread have strayed from the topic, but they do appear to be a symptom of the strong feelings your company engenders for some folks. I agree with Panache the nature of some of those feelings are not in keeping with the spirit of XMarks and am glad he raised that issue.

There is no question that many people, including quite a few XMarkers, have done business with you and find among your selections items that suit their needs at competitive prices. And certainly there is a niche to be filled selling souvenirs to tourists at low prices. Although those items aren't for me, there are those who want them, so no problem there.

I would like you to address the subject of labeling, a subject that you did not address in your most recent post.

I think your company could do much toward diminishing the complaints it receives if it were to fully and precisely label what it sells. Could you tell us what would be wrong about putting "Made in Pakistan" (or made in whatever country of manufacture) on the label of a kilt if that is, in fact, where it is made? It seems like a simple, forthright step that would defuse many, many complaints.

As to the complaints about the style of your stores, particularly those in a Historic District like the Royal Mile, I can only say those types of issues are best dealt with by the local community and local government. I am obviously not a resident of Edinburgh, but I would like to share my experience with similar issues in my town of Savannah, Georgia, because I think they are somewhat relevant.

Over the years, many merchants in our own Historic District, particularly along River Street, have found it profitable to sell inexpensive t-shirts and trinkets, with the restaurants and bars focusing on overpriced food and cheap beer. It has been a successful niche for them over the short term, but over the long term it has driven the local trade away from River Street entirely. It has also now begun to deter tourists who are drawn to some of the more "high-end" hotels and an unnatural divide has arisen between River Street and the rest of the Historic District that is not proving beneficial for those River Street merchants. In addition, the perceived "tackiness" of these stores, and the atmosphere they create in what had been a beautiful and historically important part of the City, has begun to create a backlash. Local residents and City alderman and administrators now tinker with ordinances designed to stem the "tacky" tide. It seems the more they try to regulate it, the harder business becomes for everyone. Progress is being made, in a "two-steps forward, one step back" sort of way, but it would have been better resolved, IMHO, if the businesses had practiced some self-regulation given the sensitive nature of the historic area in which they were located.

You can't please everyone, no business can do that. But I do think there are some steps that could be taken in a visible way to improve relations with not only your customers, but the wider community in which you live and do business. Failure to focus on the wider concerns of the community may not hit your bottom line over the short haul, but at the very least community concerns provide an unnecessary "head-wind" for your company and stirs the discontent of those with legitimate complaints, and also provides traction for those who have other motives. In the long term, that "head-wind" can become a serious problem.

Again, I appreciate your willingness to address these questions and look forward to your thoughts, particularly on the question of labeling.

regards
Ken