This document provides a summary of the fourth quarter 2009 newsletter from J. Philip Group LLC. It discusses positive signs that the economy is improving and challenges businesses to reduce expenses even as the economy rebounds. Specific areas highlighted for cost reductions include seasonal expenses like snow removal. The newsletter also provides a reader survey summary, discusses using corporate barter to reduce cash needs, promoting wellness programs to boost profits, and being prepared for winter storms. It promotes using LED fixtures to boost in-store marketing and lists upcoming trade shows. Finally, it discusses a new concept around reusable shopping bags called "My Eco Bag System".

1. J . P h i l i p G ro u p L . L . C .
The “FOCUS on PROFIT” Newsletter
Volume 1, Issue 3 Fourth Quarter, 2009
Fourth Quarter 2009: “Turning the Corner”
Positive Steps to Increase Your Odds for Success
There is light at the end of the tunnel, The key will be NOT to allow ANY-
and even the “Bears” agree that the THING to be “business as usual”.
economy is headed slowly back in the
right direction. Take a look at seasonal
expenses like snow removal,
In the September edition of Purchasing storm response, corporate
Magazine, the results of a recent poll Holiday party planning, and even
Phil Leichliter ~ President, indicate that “buyers nationwide plan Holiday Sales Meetings. Challenge
J.Philip Group, L.L.C. to increase sourcing of all commodity your team to get pricing and terms for
groups” now. seasonal expenses that are lower than
Let us be your last year in every instance. If they
Everyone will be focusing
“Secret Weapon” come in with pricing that’s the same as
on top-line sales and bot-
increasing last year, something is wrong, for sure.
tom line expenses more
EBITDA! than ever before, in this We’ve learned to operate in this chal-
(Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, important quarter. Zero-in on some lenging economy, and the NEW chal-
Depreciation, Amortization)
areas you can impact now, which will lenge will be to not allow expenses to
J. Philip Group, L.L.C.
help bring in the bottom-line profits “creep” back up along with an improv-
Contact Information: needed for this quarter. ing economy. What have we learned
Walnut Creek, CA 94598 we can “do without”? Managers
You’ll already be carefully controlling
e-Mail: Phil@jphilipgroup.com should challenge the resumption
big items like payroll, and you have
Website: www.jphilipgroup.com of ANY expense that was reduced
lots of competent people on your team
as a cost savings measure during
taking care of the little stuff, right?
Inside this issue: the past year. Happy Holidays!
Page 2: Cost Reduction
Through Use of Reader Survey Results
Corporate Barter
Recently we conducted a “Zoomerang” sur- Here is a summary of the survey results:
Page 2: Corporate Well- vey of a sub-set of the “Focus on Profit”
ness is Linked to  73% read “most or all” of the articles
Bottom Lines Newsletter mailing list, in order to ensure
our articles and content are meaningful and  100% rate the publication as “good” or
Page 2: Are you Ready helpful. A special “THANK YOU” to those
for Winter “excellent”
of you who participated in the survey!
Storms?
 91% “always” or “often” read the new
Page 3: Increase In-Store Beginning with this issue, we are adding ideas from the vendor community & in-
Marketing with topics you indicated would be of interest. dustry / market trend articles.
LED Fixtures! 55% of those responding to the survey indi-
cated they would like to have us publish a  54% indicate that they visit our website
Page 3: Upcoming Trade
Shows Scheduled brief profile of successful person or vendor at least once each month.
in the business community. Also, 45% of
Page 4: “Did You Bring We’ll work to continually improve the con-
Your Bag Today?” those responding indicated they would like
tent of our newsletter, for your benefit!
(New Direction in to have a schedule of upcoming trade shows
Thank you for your continued readership!
Re-Usable Bags!) or conventions published as well.

2. PAGE 2 T H E “ F OC US ON PR OF I T ” N EW SL E T TE R V O LU ME 1, IS SU E 3
Cost Reduction through use of a Corporate Barter, Trade Credit Strategy
Many of you may be familiar with the modern day barter works, they are Corporate Barter Advisors, LLC,
use of Corporate Barter to provide making it a regular part of their with more than 20 years of industry
more profitable options commercial terms in high value, experience, provides objective,
for value impaired competitive purchasing situations. independent advice and strategies in
assets. all areas of corporate barter and can
The employment of a barter strategy help identify programs that can
Many of you may NOT be aware that to reduce the amount of cash needed benefit companies with either prob-
increasingly, large, sophisticated to run operations provides business lem assets or a desire to reduce the
Fortune 2000 companies are employ- advantages to both the company and cash needed for normal operations.
ing Corporate Barter Strategies to its key, qualified suppliers and
reduce the amount of cash needed to promotes closer relationships between For more information
run their operations. both companies. concerning the use of Barter
Most of these cost reduction seeking Corporate Barter has evolved to the Exchange, contact :
companies have used barter to solve point where both Media & Non-Media James B. Parsons,
excess inventory situations and as services can be positively impacted Corporate Barter Advisors,
they have become more comfortable through the substitution of Open LLC 951. 244. 3476
with and more familiar with how Purchase Trade Credit for Cash. Email: jbpsb1@yahoo.com
Corporate Wellness is ‘Linked’ to Healthy Bottom Lines
In a recent visit with the AFFLINK  Should I offer an appreciation, in-
Business Services team, our conversa- centive trip or trade show? What’s
tion turned to “What Makes a Business the return on my investment if I do?
Healthy”? I found the topic relevant  How am I perceived in the market?
and interesting; hope you do as well! How do I want to be seen?
Building a healthy business—that's the  Where do I get quality training for
goal of any good company. With the my employees?
menu of programs available through  When was the last time I updated
AFFLINK Business Services, customers my website?
are able to receive the essential ele-  Do I effectively communicate with
ments needed to help create and main- my customers…both current and The AFFLINK Event Planners in Action!
tain healthy, more profitable businesses. potential? The AFFLINK team of experts can
Think your business is healthy? Bundling marketing, event planning, help. Find out how they can put a cus-
Ask yourself the following questions: educational, technological and human tomized program together that will de-
 What is my company mission, vision resource packages for all its customers, liver the results you’re looking for, at a
and selling proposition? Does my AFFLINK realizes that the profits of its price you can afford.
sales team know them? partners are inextricably linked to the For more information contact:
 Am I outsourcing design and print fundamental business services that Peggy Cunningham at 804-237-1156
jobs today? If so, how much am I make up their team’s core competencies. or Email: PCunningham@afflink.com
paying for those services? So don’t worry if you couldn’t
AFFLINK, LLC www.afflink.com
answer the questions asked here.
Retailers ~ Are You Ready for Winter Storms?
October is your “last chance” to check Labor prices, and all service You should also consider
with your contractors to ensure all prices have declined since last consolidating services.
plans are in place for those critical year’s winter weather season, For example, your pricing
services you will need with Winter so if you are paying the can be improved if you
strikes its first blow! same prices for snow removal, narrow your vendor base
or window-boarding, you are by contracting your Jani-
The contracts you have with your ser- paying to much. torial Service Provider to
vice providers should be reviewed now do snow removal or window boarding.
because your opportunity to renegoti- Also, this is a great time to review the
ate pricing and terms will total scope of your service agreements Contact J. Philip Group L.L.C. by
vaporize the moment the to ensure snow removal includes ar- e-mailing phil@jphilipgroup.com
snow falls or the hurricane eas not covered in prior years. Think for more information.
is making landfall. about last year; what was missed?

3. V O LU ME 1 , IS SU E 3 T H E “ F OC US ON PR OF I T ” N EW SL E T TE R PAGE 3
Increase In-Store Marketing with LED Fixturing
It’s no secret in-store A little larger than a kernel of corn, several colors
purchasing decisions LED diodes can be designed in and designed in
can be dramatically varying colors and brightness, a multitude of
impacted by well- while emitting very little heat and lighting, glow or
designed, well-placed offering a footprint small enough to flash patterns.
and well-lit store fix- hide under the nose of a shelf.
tures and point-of- Custom signage, POP displays or
“A popular design we’ve had suc- traditional store fixtures incorpo-
purchase displays.
cess with is utilizing LEDs as edge- rating LED lighting can greatly en-
I recently inter- lighting to create a ‘halo’ effect that hance in-store marketing while of-
viewed the team at really allows the display to stand fering greater energy efficiency and
The Nu-Era Group, an industry out,” notes Dave Fish, VP of sales versatility. It’s important to note
leader in store fixturing and de- at The Nu-Era Group. that a reliable manufacturing
sign. They were very excited about source is critical as sub-standard
an emerging trend in POP and re- Consumer engagement is another and low quality LED sources exist
tactic achieved with LED messag-
tail fixtures, which is the incorpora- in the international market.
tion of LED lighting and imagery ing. By incorporating a motion sen-
sor activated by the approaching To learn more about custom fixture
as a boost to in-store marketing.
consumer, LED lighting and/or design and the power of LEDs, con-
Smaller, brighter and longer-lasting branded messaging is triggered to tact Michael Taylor by e-mailing
than traditional incandescent light- elicit a customer response. mtaylor@thenueragroup.com or call
ing, LEDs offers greater versatility (314) 231-3662, x265. Visit their Web
and energy efficiency. LEDs can also be manufactured in site at www.thenueragroup.com.
Upcoming Trade Shows & Conventions of Interest
In our recent “Zoomerang” survey,  Iowa Marketers Expo, Nov  GlobalShop, Mar 10 - Mar
respondents told us having a reminder 11 - Nov 12, 2009, Des Moines, 12, 2010, Las Vegas, NV
of upcoming Trade Shows and IA  ICSC Conference on Open
Conventions would be of interest.  New York Gift Cash & Air Centers, Mar 10 - Mar
We’ve taken the time to research Carry Show, Nov 20 - Nov 12, 2010, Orlando, FL
22, 2009, New York, NY  CAMEX 2010, Mar 14 - Mar
schedules for the following shows:
 The Hawaii Market January 16, 2010, Orlando, FL
SHOW NAMES/DATES/SITES: Merchandise Expo, Jan 9 - Jan  CRS - Convenience Retail-
11, 2010, Honolulu, HI ing Show, Mar 21 - Mar 24,
 RILA Environmental Sus-  Retail Industry Leaders 2010, Birmingham
tainability & Compliance Association - The Leadership
Conference, Oct 5 - Oct 7, Forum, Jan 17 - Jan 19, 2010, We’ll update this listing each
2009 , Frisco, TX Carlsbad, CA quarter, showing noteworthy
 Portland Cash & Carry  Outdoor Retailer Winter trade shows and conferences that
Show, Oct 9 - Oct 11, 2009, Market 2010, Jan 21 - Jan 24, will be occurring in the next quar-
Portland, OR 2010, Salt Lake City, UT ter.
 Food Marketing Institute -  ASR - Action Sports Re-
If you participate in a trade show,
2009 FMI Retail Store Devel- tailer, Jan 22 - Jan 24, 2010,
or are planning to attend one in
opment Conference, Oct 25 - San Diego, CA
the next six months, that we’ve
Oct 27, 2009, Austin, TX  Food Marketing Institute -
not shown on our list, please con-
 BAI Retail Delivery Confer- FMI's Midwinter Executive
tact us and we’ll include it in our
ence and Expo, Nov 4 - Nov Conference, Jan 24 - Jan 26,
next issue.
6, 2009, Boston, MA 2010, Orlando, FL
 The Hawaii Market Novem-  Southeast Petro-Food Mar-
keting Exposition, Mar 3 -
We will be attending GlobalShop
ber Merchandise Expo, Nov 7 -
Mar 4, 2010, Myrtle Beach, SC in Las Vegas; see you there!
Nov 9, 2009, Honolulu, HI

4. PAGE 4 T H E “ F OC US ON PR OF I T ” N EW SL E T TE R V O LU ME 1, IS SU E 3
“Did You Bring Your Bag Today?”
At J.Philip Group, we will bring for- Recycling appears 3rd on the EPA There are traditionally three S’s that
ward new trends, products, or innova- hierarchy (Reduce Reuse Recycle) define sustainability:
tions that will be industry changing in because recycling itself uses energy.
their nature. I was introduced to Kris- 1. Saving money (billions for the
ten Brown, and decided we would supermarket industry);
feature her innovative new concept in 2. Saving resources (for our chil-
this quarter’s edition of “Focus on dren); and
Profit”.
3. Saving time (for consumers and
For decades, we’ve unloaded our front end employees).
groceries onto the check-out con-
veyor at the grocery store and lis- If reuse is the answer to the ‘ultimate’
Now it is up to the supermarkets
tened to cashiers and baggers ask bag question, than how do we in- themselves to take a proactive ap-
one of the most frequently asked crease participation? proach and promote behavior
questions in America: “Plastic or Pa- change. After all, they have the most
per?” According to Brown, “Reuse, like recy- to gain with the reduction of millions
cling, is a positive externality. Con- of dollars from front end supply costs.
But, instead… what if they said – sumers want to get a reward for their
‘Hello, DID YOU BRING YOUR BAG actions. The reward is functionality. Wouldn’t this be worth asking the
TODAY?’ The bag has to work for the consumer. question ‘Did You Bring Your Bag
It has to make the reuse experience Today?’
Perhaps this simple shift in the ques- easier than the disposable options.
tion, might make us all wonder: Why The more functional the better.” Decades ago, a determined retail in-
didn’t I just bring my own bag? dustry motivated by supply cost sav-
Green Waste Solutions has devel- ings cleverly persuaded shoppers to
Changing consumer behavior is diffi- oped My Eco Bag System and made try those flimsy plastic bags. And the
cult but not new to Kristen Brown, functionality for the family shopper the front line leaders in the attack against
daughter of Gordon Dancy, the man top priority. My Eco Bag System (as paper bags were the cashiers and
who introduced the plastic grocery pictured) is a convenient four shop- baggers themselves.
bag to America 30 years ago. In ping bags in one storage tote system.
1978, Brown trained the first grocery The invention of a convenient, user-
store to ever use plastic bags in her friendly plastic sack along with the
hometown Middletown Ohio. Ms. simple question, “Plastic or Paper”,
Brown, managing partner for Green revolutionized the grocery bag indus-
Waste Solutions, is currently an envi- try and, most importantly, changed
ronmental consultant for the USEPA behavior. Like her father Brown in-
whose specialty is residential waste vented My Eco Bag System as the
reduction for big cities. next, best product evolution - Reuse.
The strategy to change behavior is
“The only long term sustainable op- the same…. Asking the simple ques-
tion is reuse. There are negatives to And like a puzzle, they fit perfectly tion,
both plastic and paper bags. together into a shopping cart for load-
ing groceries at checkout. “Did you bring your bag today?”
Reusing My Eco Bag System each
week verses paper or plastic is the For more information, contact
perfect balance between consumer Kristen Brown:
convenience and protecting our envi- Green Waste Solution /
ronmental ecosystem.
The Grocery Bag Solution,
95B Centermarsh Lane,
Experts from the American Chemistry Pawleys Island, SC 29585
Council and the Paper industry can E-Mail Address:
spin the environmental facts to make
both options sound wonderful. The Kristen@thewastesolution.com
reality is Americans are wasteful and
single use bags (plastic or paper) are Phone: 1-888-ECO-8048
the epitome of conspicuous consum- Website: www.thewastesolution.com /
Easy to load in the car as well!
erism,” says Brown. www.thegrocerybagsolution.com