Essay on Victorian Gov't & Posh Op Shop Support Integration of Children With Disabilities

Introduction

The integration of children with disability into the mainstream education system is strongly supported by the Victorian government. The state government only provides an insignificant contribution for every child for education in private schools like the Jewish day schools. The actual cost needed to assist these children is, however, more. Posh op shop therefore has come in as a stakeholder to support these children with their needs besides what the government is offering to them, which is insufficient.

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Location and What the Shop Does

The organization raises its funds through the Posh Opp Shoppe which sells a variety of high-end quality pre-loved commodities and sends all its net profits to the Melbourne Jewish Children's Aid Society. Posh op shop is located in 484 Glen Huntly Road, Elsternwick, in Australia. The place hosts the most vibrant and trendy shopping strips such as the Boutique Melbourne labels on Gertrude Street, Fitzroy; Event and bridal wear on High Street, Armadale; and Luxury labels on Collins Street, Melbourne among many more. The area is known to be the home to many best internationally renowned designers in Australia, and it is this place where all the devoted fashionists from Australia come to stock their wardrobes. This offers Posh op shop an excellent opportunity to grab some of the best pre-loved commodities which it can then resell at a relatively lower price for profits.

The Target Audience

For both the interior and exterior signage systems, the target audiences are the potential buyers and donators. These marketing statements are directly directed to the customers informing them of the business and what to expect when inside the store. Besides, the donators may also find it attractive to bring their pre-loved goods here when they see the signage that the shop is mainly for supporting the children with special needs. The donators of this shop are the residents of this area (Australians) who donate their pre-owned clothes, shoes, and many other household items to the shop that are then later sold in the store to raise funds for supporting the special children in schools. There is no restriction on who can donate and who cannot. All people from all the corners are welcome to donate to the shop, and this has enabled it to collect a large number of donators. As a result of the large variety of items in their shop, Posh op shop has also managed to acquire a large number of customers who regularly walk in and out of the shop. Three significant factors attract customers to this shop. The first factor is that the shop is a charity shop, and the money collected here is fully used to support children with special needs. The second factor is the availability of many varieties of products in the shop from an array of designers. Lastly is the favourite prices of the commodities.

Competition with Other Op Shops

The Posh op shop faces stiff competition from other op shops in Australia. Some of its major competitors include the following. The first one is the Sacred Heart Mission Op Shop, located in South Melbourne, Australia. From the customer reviews on the shop's website, this is a high-end op shop that has significant advantages making it more attractive to the customers. The shop has lots of street appeal to pull you in, and it is small, so it feels cosy that you don't have to spend ages searching. It is also well-organized, making it easy for the customers to search for the items. The second competitor to Posh op shop is Toorak Opportunity Shop, which is a second-hand store in the City of Melbourne, Australia. One advantage that this shop has over the posh op shop is that it closes its store at 6 pm, whereas Posh op closes at 4:30 pm during the week days. However, the shop does not open on Sundays, which disadvantages it against the Posh op shop. Other competitors include the Cheltenham Opportunity Shop, Secondo in South Yarra, and the Red Cross Op Shops which are everywhere.

Other Services That Could Be Incorporated

The competition between charity or op shops is on the rise, and to thrive in this competitive environment, Posh op shop needs to reassess how their brand is perceived by the consumers. There are other services that could be incorporated into this store to increase revenue. The management should plan ahead sales promotions campaigns and offers. The update of prices will automatically occur at the point of sale. Another service is to use mobile loyalty solution in communicating events and sales or directions to the store. The shop should also engage in cross-selling and up-selling of items by triggering messages to the cashier suggesting related items. All these processes may be too much complicated for volunteers, but with the LS Retail, it is not. The employees at the head office can implement, plan, and control the entire system. The staff members in the stores need to go to some basic training, and that would be enough to run the shop.

Positioning Of the Shop as A Brand and How the Shop Looks

As a brand, I would position the Posh op shop as a charity shop. A charity shop is both a place for generating revenue for its charity activity and also for its public face. Just by having a presence on the high street and by informing the public of its work, the Posh op shop has got its name known. The exterior signage system of the store is quite conspicuous and clear, making it easy for those coming across it to understand its aim and motive. For instance, there are a few exciting signage on the exterior of the shop directed to the customers. There is postage that lead the customers on the opening hours of the shop. This is important as it enlightens them to know the right time to visit the store and hence avoid wastage of time by visiting the store during odd hours.

Another poster indicates that there is no bargaining inside the shop. Most of the customers who visit this shop come with the mentality that the commodities here should be cheap, and therefore, most of them tend to bargain even for the most reasonably priced products. I personality feel that the goods sold inside this shop are incredibly cheap and of good quality. The restriction on bargaining is, therefore, in my opinion, a good move by the management since the prices are already indicated on the items. On the outside of the shop is a poster showing that all the funds are directed for children with special needs. This on itself should be a marketing writing to attract as more customers as possible, especially those willing to donate. On the interior signage systems, mainly are the price tags for the given classes of commodities. The price tags are of significant importance as they motivate customers to shop there and then rather than wait or shop around.

The Posh op shop is indeed doing some good job by supporting children with special needs. Many people are happy with what the organization is doing and this can be seen from the number of donors and the employees who volunteer in their shop. Regardless of the stiff competition from the nearby op shops, Posh still thrives in this market. However, the organization should consider making some improvements on its operations to attract as many customers and donators as possible. Ahead sales promotions campaigns is one such changes that should be considered.

Bibliography

Dragnef Loana. Where To Find Melbourne's Best Op Shops: Urban List, Fashion (2019). https://www.theurbanlist.com/melbourne/a-list/best-op-shops-melbourne

Jewish Children's Aid Society. Inc Posh Opp Shop: Registered Charity. Retrieved from https://www.jcas.org.au/

Posh Opp Shop - Glen Huntly. Official website retrieved from https://www.opshop.org/details/posh-opp-shop-glen-huntly

Shiell, Annette. Fundraising, flirtation and fancywork: Charity bazaars in nineteenth century Australia. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2014.