Arts & Culture

The Apprentice Week Nine: Shop till you Drop

23 March 202222 March 2022By
The Apprentice Week Nine: Shop till you Drop

This week, the teams were set one of their most intense challenges – to sell live to the nation, on one of the country’s leading TV shopping channels.

In this week’s episode, the teams must identify the best products to sell and direct a promo to boost sales of one of their items, all leading to them taking over the airwaves in a one-hour prime-time sales slot live on TV. The team that generates the most shop sales, wins. 

Previously: Stephany was in poll position, but her luxury vision stalled. For Nick and Akshay, their wheels fell off. Harpreet led from the front, but it reached boiling point in the kitchen. Brittney and Aaron led on facts, and Harpreet’s team triumphs in the boardroom. Akshay nearly left, but it was Nick that was driven off. Now seven candidates remain…

Over at Greenwich market, the home to a huge range of goods, Lord Sugar delivers the task of live selling to the candidates. Both teams have 24 hours till they go live. 

Here are my top ten moments of episode nine: Selling 

1) Choosing a director:

For team Infinity, both Aaron and Brittney battled it out for the role of project manager. Brittney won her team over for the position, claiming that she would bring ‘energy’ and ‘creativity’ to the task. 

“I have never been so excited to PM a task. I know TV selling channels personally as I purchase their products. I feel really confident that we are going to win this,” said Brittney. 

After last week, Akshay was put in the hot seat for PM.

“This is more than TV selling. This is more than a task. This is about me. This is about my pride. I need to do well in this task, and I am going to give 100%,” said Akshay. “I generally believe that we have an amazing team. There is literally nothing stopping us. Make history on those shopping channels!”

2) Picking the high-ticket product:

With both teams circling the ring, the channel will decide who will sell the blue Sapphire ring. 

Experiencing Brittney’s passion and Aaron’s keen selling background, the channel decided to pick team Infinity. 

Unfortunately, Kathryn and Stephanie were left with the air fryer. 

“You come here to take risks. You can’t play it safe. We took the plunge, we went for the ring, and I just hope me and Aaron can sell it at that top price,” said Brittney. 

“I am really disappointed. We will roll with the punches. We will have to sell the air fryer,” said Stephanie.

3) Stop flocking around:

Showcasing their products of choice, Harpreet and Akeem go full out with their inflatable flamingo… Well, they think they have… 

“It’s a good quality flamingo. We are going to have lots of fun,” said Harpreet.

“When I got told yesterday that we have got an inflatable flamingo. I just don’t get it! I just don’t know who is going to buy it,” said Aaron.

4) A crash course: 

With half of each team off to gallery training, the rest will learn how to present.

The presenting team will be learning how to perfect their style.

“I feel worse leaving than I did come it,” said Brittney. 

For the other half, a crash course in the control room. 

“The biggest challenge I have, is I need them Air fryers sold. I have allocated double the time than the other products. So, I am hoping that will sell them,” said Akshay.

5) Going live:

Aaron and Brittney went live first, with Harpreet and Akeem on the controls. 

“Harpreet and Akeem were responsible were getting as much research as possible to feed through to their selling team. However, I kept on hearing ‘made by hand’. They picked it, but they didn’t do a great job of selling it,” said Campbell.

Selling went more downhill from the flamingo to the ring, with the controls team having to make more than one price drop.

“From my limited experience of being in production suites, you want calm serenity, but it was real chaos in there,” said Campbell.

“That was the most intense hour of my life!” said Brittney.

6) The star product: 

Stephanie and Kathryn found it hard to work together, making their live TV presentation painful to watch. 

Having been unsuccessful in getting the ring, their star product was the air fryer, and even that failed to get a sale. 

“Akshay said he would produce this show, make it exciting, engaging. But all he did was drip the price, drop the price, drop it again. He went down the minimums.” Said Brady.

7) The Boardroom:

“You may have expectations of what you think you sold. However, people change their minds. So, these are the real confirmed sales figures,” said Sugar.

Team Diverse: “Well, not all the bids went through, including two of their star product, the air fryer. But they did sell a lot of products. Eighty-three products across the hour. Total sales £2,089.17,” said Brady. 

Team Infinity: “Well, team infinity also had a few problems in terms of confirmed sales. Not all the bids went through, including three sales of the ring. So, across the hour, they sold 56 products, totalling at £2,500.44,” said Campbell.

8) The Café:

“Losing out on that ring has cost us this task. We have lost out because of that negotiation. When it came to actually selling, I did sense you both panicked a little bit,” said Akshay. 

“I do think Akshay’s quite big on laying blame at other people. But actually, this was the one opportunity that he had to project-manage a task and show that he could lead a team and win a team. And he hasn’t done that,” said Stephanie.

9) The battle of the three:

“When you come back in this boardroom, you are going to tell me why you should remain in this competition,” said Sugar. 

“Akshay, this is the sixth time you have been in this boardroom, never mind a season ticket. I’m thinking of putting a plaque up on the wall.”

“Kathryn, you were responsible for selling the messenger. You only sold four. Previously people had sold about 84.”

“Akshay on your CV, you can sell cages to lions, but you were scared of selling wrinkle cream to women.”

“Stephanie, you were the sub-team leader. You were responsible for getting the ring, and the bottom line is you didn’t get it.”

10) In the firing line: 

“Akshay, you have lost eight out of nine tasks. You’re not a bad fellow, but my gut feeling is telling me you’re not for me. So, Akshay, it is with regret that you’re fired.”

“Keep in touch,” said Lord Sugar.

“The first thing I am going to do when I get home is getting back onto my business. There’re so many plans, so many ideas. It’s time to scale it up,” said Akshay.

Now Six candidates remain. 

Next Week: Create a baby food.

Catch up on week eight