Chapter 402 - 146: The Green Tea Female Supporting Character in a Period Drama (33)

Chapter 402: Chapter 146: The Green Tea Female Supporting Character in a Period Drama (33)

Xu Chengfang was surprised to see a customer arrive just after they hung up the sign. She enthusiastically went forward to greet them:

"Yes, comrade. From now on, this will be the general hospital’s retail department."

"If there’s anything you need to buy, you won’t have to run back and forth anymore."

The person smiled and said, "When do you open for business?"

"Er," Xu Chengfang faltered, glancing at the empty shelves. She smiled and continued, "We’re estimating we can open tonight. Our comrades are already on their way to get inventory. In any case, our merchandise will gradually be fully stocked. It’ll be convenient for everyone!"

"Oh, right! We can also provide a service for making and receiving phone calls," Xu Chengfang added, suddenly raising her voice when she saw Chi Yun’er point to the telephone.

The person nodded, indicating they were looking forward to the store’s opening.

Once the person left, Xu Chengfang found a cardboard box, tore it into several pieces, and wrote the retail department’s address on them, adding that they now offered a service for making and receiving phone calls.

Putting down her pen, she let Chi Yun’er know what she was doing and then excitedly went to place the makeshift signs in conspicuous, high-traffic areas.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, someone followed the address to the store. They looked at the words "Retail Department" written on the cardboard sign, paused for a moment, then entered. Seeing the empty room with only two simple desks and chairs, they almost turned to leave.

But there were indeed two telephones on the desk!

"Hello, comrade," Chi Yun’er said with a light smile as she stepped forward to greet him. "Are you here to make a call? Our prices are the same as the post office. We can only do local calls, though. It’s four cents per call, and the fee to take a message for someone is three cents..."

The person hesitated before taking out four cents and placing them on the desk. "I need to make a phone call."

Chi Yun’er smiled as she took the money and recorded the Zhaoyang Retail Department’s first sale in her notebook.

The last time they’d organized the exchange for summer goods, the hospital employees had been the ones running back and forth. This time, after a few phone calls from Chi Yun’er and her team, many suppliers said they would deliver the goods right to their door that very afternoon.

The first customer hadn’t even finished their call when a small truck with a Bingyang Beverage Factory banner came PUTT-PUTTING up to the store. Two young men hopped out, wearing blue tank tops also printed with the Bingyang Beverage Factory name.

They smiled and presented an order form. "Director Chi? Could you please verify the types and quantities of the sodas, and then sign here?"

Soda was an absolute must-have in the hot summer weather!

Plus, the profit margin was quite generous.

Excluding the bottle deposit, Chi Yun’er and her team bought the sodas for four and a half cents and sold them for seven, making a profit of two and a half cents per bottle.

The profit from a single bottle might seem small, but the customer traffic would be huge!

Once people knew the store was here, they could sell soda nonstop from morning till night.

Soda had a long shelf life, so Chi Yun’er ordered an entire truckload, making sure to get some of every flavor.

HUFFING and PUFFING, the young men followed her instructions. They moved half the inventory into the storeroom and stacked the other half against the wall, arranged by flavor.

The person who had made the call didn’t leave. They watched in fascination as the empty store took in a whole truckload of soda. The variety was impressive and the colors were vibrant. The air itself seemed to fill with a cool, sweet aroma.

"Excuse me, comrade, how much is your soda?" he asked. By now, a small crowd, drawn by the spectacle, was also watching expectantly.

"Same price as anywhere else. And starting tomorrow, we’ll also have iced soda. It’s seven cents a bottle to drink here, or ten cents to take away..."

Some children were already drooling, tugging at their parents’ clothes and begging for a soda.

An idea sparked in Chi Yun’er’s mind. With a light laugh, she announced loudly, "Attention, everyone! To celebrate our grand opening, the Zhaoyang Retail Department will be having a three-day sale! All customers get a ten percent discount! And for anyone who spends over one yuan, you’ll get a free bottle of soda! You have to drink it here, though. If you want to take it home, you’ll have to pay the three-cent bottle deposit."

"Spend two yuan, get two free bottles! There’s no limit...."

"This offer is only for three days!"

The crowd grew excited at the mention of a grand opening sale. A ten percent discount might not seem like much, but when had they ever gotten a deal like this when using their cash and ration coupons at the supply and marketing cooperative?

And that was to say nothing of the free soda!

They could easily spend one yuan just by buying a few necessities.

As she spoke, the second shipment of goods arrived: all sorts of biscuits and cookies, essential for visiting relatives or stocking the pantry.

Xu Chengfang struggled to squeeze her way through the crowd and back into the store. Out of breath, she immediately joined Chi Yun’er in inspecting and logging the new goods, then finding a suitable place to display them.

Shelving units were delivered as well, greatly increasing the store’s usable space. Everything looked much neater and more appealing, and it would be far easier for customers to find what they were looking for.