Be sure to listen to the consumer!

The market of children's goods is a special niche, a peculiar risk zone, where it is especially difficult to keep from trivial steps. The task of MERLION, the new owner of TM Silwerhof, is to make an up-to-date and bright product within a rather complex market segment.  The process of creating new collections, introducing interesting products into the assortment is gaining momentum. The next year 2018 will show the results. The plans of TM Silwerhof are told by Svetlana Baskakova, Procurement Director of “Stationery” direction in MERLION.

- Why is Silwerhof brand worth paying close attention?

- Silwerhof is a demanded stationery product which is maximally adapted to the preferences of Russian consumers. Silwerhof products are available to a wide range of customers due to the optimal price-quality ratio. Writing goods for school and office, paper and stationery products and goods for children's creativity are issued under ТМ Siwerhof today.

The basis of Silwerhof philosophy is the bright emotions which we give to our customers (both children and their parents). Buying the Silwerhof brand in January 2017, we also acquired its ideology, which we continue to work on to this day.

Silwerhof is a strong team which unites creative people at all stages of work, from designers and purchases to sales and logistics. Therefore, the idea of development through creativity for both the brand and the company MERLION, remained a priority.

- How difficult is it to produce products for children, for children's creativity and hobbies?

- Silwerhof always differed from other brands in the market of children's office and goods for creativity. Each presentation of the new line was a peculiar challenge to product design, because, as I said, the emotional component is the basis. The market of children's goods is a special niche, a peculiar risk zone, where it is especially difficult to keep from trivial steps. And our task is to make an up-to-date and bright product within the framework of a complex market segment.

There have been no significant changes in the production base of Silwerhof, the sites remained the same: Russia, the countries of Asia and the CIS, and the manufacturers of stationery now have a reliable partner, MERLION. Thanks to contracts with manufacturers-suppliers, Silwerhof managed to keep quality and safety of the goods. The line for this year has remained the same, but the process of creating new collections, the introduction of interesting products in the range is gaining momentum. The next year 2018 will be revealing.

- Advertising support at the sites, and even more so at the federal level, is too expensive. Is it worth it?

- Organizational moments associated with the transition of Silwerhof team to MERLION, took about six months. For a brand of stationery and goods for creativity, this is a significant time in a highly competitive market.  Of course, we felt it. However, it should be noted that children's goods are a special category, because here the buyers are likely to rely on advice from friends and relatives, and on their own experience.

Of course, we focus on polls, and analyze the behavior of customers on the Internet, but it's just as important to do what you believe and do best, and also constantly challenge yourself and the world. MERLION employees are a team which has sufficient experience to conduct professional advertising campaigns both at federal and regional levels.

Silwerhof is still relying on the ultimate buyer. The customers who purchased Silwerhof products, are still there. Active work is being conducted now with these clients and with the new potential consumers.  For example, the creative contest "Bright colors of the summer" was launched, which is aimed at the final buyer.

We do not bypass any partner of MERLION: specially for them we develop individual marketing programs, bonus systems, the direction of the trading equipment and the guides for presentation of Silwerhof products on shelves in retail stores are updated. All this shows that Silwerhof remained unchanged, and there is such thing as “the word on the street”.

- Do you give advice on how to properly display the shop windows, how to arrange the products?

- As it was said before, much attention is paid to laying Silwerhof products in the stores of our partners, since the main job is to satisfy the needs of the final customer. Without a competent layout, presentation of products, trade equipment, arrangement the goods will not be sold. The careful work on modernizing and improvement all these issues is now on.

- Do you work with small companies, with individual shops?

- MERLION is a large stable company, and we provide wide opportunities for our partners (logistics, financial, marketing) and are ready to cooperate with all who are ready to comply with the terms of the contract.

- Your wishes to your “long-standing” and new customers?

I wish optimism to everyone – good sale rates, loyal customers, not to be afraid to move forward, offer innovative products to the market and introduce new product groups into the range of products. And be sure to listen to the consumer!