WS Profit and loss statement question

[Rhonda]

Have a friend who does an Excel sheet for wire service profiit/loss. They include any sales (local, walk-in) that feature a codified container because they question whether or not the consumer came/ordered specifically for that container advertised by the wire service. Do any of you include orders/designs in codifieds as part of the p & l statement?
My arguement was no because it wasn't actually part of the "wire service - sending/receiving", her arguement was that the sale might not have happened without being in the wire service and carrying that specific container. Such as bringing in a coupon for local delivery or pick up, non WS member calling and asking for specific container but paying by CC.... etc.
(is arguement spelled with the first "e"?)
(and as a side note, extra fees imposed by the ws is bringing embers to flame here and will be addressed at our Spring business owners/managers meeting as well as are OG paying our state their sales tax they gather)

 

[BOSS]

I would say those should not be included.

 

[hollyflr]

I would definately keep track of those sales, but more then likely separately, not lumped together. I would then compare how my business is affected, with and without those sales.

 

[bootcampguy]

I do not for the following reasons:

If they walked with the TF coupon from the paper, they are coming into your store as a result of advertising dollars that (hopefully you didn't spend) and then redeemed the coupon. They then either took the product or sent it somewhere, unless they just walked in and wet themselves when they saw the piece in the cooler. WS p & L are based solely on (in's versus out's) and all the fees it takes to maintain the platform.

I do however, back out as "marketing expense" the pull rate of new customers from the ws orders (currently 30 -35%). So at the end of the year if I've pulled 30% new customers over from a ws order, then I "deduct" 30% of the fees off the top, after rebates. I track that through an adword in FW as "wire service convert". Most shops could care less about going after that sale for various reasons, none I've ever been able to understand. You've just had dinner with them for 7 nights, been looked at 100 times, been watered several times (hopefully), your name read over and over, at least 10 people told about you and you've made someone happy. My would a florist (who fills orders) not want to repeat that sale..................... through them at 100%.

 

[BOSS]

I track that ........ as "wire service convert".

Me too... but my list is a list of florists... LOL