I was out shopping the other day and noticed something new
. Banners. Temporary signs. Sale racks. And more, on the outside of so many businesses.
The shoe repair shop now has a vinyl banner tied up over its windows: Expert Alterations.
The hardware store screams Keys Made*Screens Repaired*Plumbing Snakes
The health-food store: Special on Vitamins
The closeout store: New Markdowns Taken
The import store: New Shipment Just Arrived
And just about every restaurant, deli, and hot-dog stand has a sign reading Now Open for Breakfast 7 AM.
Even the hoity-toity hair salon has a hoity-toity sidewalk Aframe sign with a (very tasteful and very to-the-point) priced menu of services for frosting, French tips, salon pedicure, and whatever other arcane beauty rituals take place in there.
Now, unless there’s a big sale on vinyl banners I haven’t heard about, what does this tell us? Well, yes, that to be in the quick-sign business is a good choice right now, true, but what else?
That business people are scrambling for income. Hey, we rent this place 24 hours a day, let’s make some money before 11 am. Hey, my sister’s out of work and she sews real good, let’s give her a corner to put her sewing machine in.
That some shopkeepers, hitherto complacent, are starting to feel a pinch. That rent and payroll and taxes might be a ever-increasing percentage of ever-decreasing daily totals.
Come in, come in, they are all shouting from (literally) their rooftops. Because their sales totals are not what they would like them to be. Because their usual clientele is busy scrambling to pay the mortgage balloon payment, fill the gas tank, make the grocery budget go far enough. And/or because their wholesale pricing has gone up up and up, and they cannot sell their goods for that much more, because their customers have the same problem: just living costs more. Forget getting anything besides the necessities. I am SO glad I don’t own a gift shop right now!
So, Kate’s theory of Retail Sales Forecast: Count the yellow and orange banners outside your area’s retail shops. Multiply by yard signs For Sale by Owner. The more, the worse.
(Of course, the worse the economy, the more GREAT stuff comes in to your resale, consignment or thrift shop… and the more “new” customers you stand to make, with a little added effort. Banner, anyone?)
More of Kate’s retail and resale wisdom at Too Good to be Threw, home of The Complete Operations Manual for Resale & Consignment Shops, as well as consumer-focused thoughts at HowToConsign.com where you can find a professional resale shop
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
Hi Kate!
You are so right on!
I especially liked the one about restraunts I have noticed many local ones are now open on days when they were not open and I also noticed the breakfast signs as well.
Oh and forget about the homes in our areas, 1 out of five is for sale. Seriously, we are buying a home and we were looking yesterday, just driving around and in one area, there were 20 signs, unbelievable. OF course that is GREAT for us!
The Hallmark shop too had some awesome 75% off goodies that I just had to have as well!
We are noticing too that our shoppers are increasing, gaining an average of 15 brand new shoppers a week.
Life is grand on the resale side of the fence!
I am so excited to find your site! My husband and I are trying to consider all the reality of openning a consignment shop, but we know many just don’t make it. I will be sharing your webpage with him and gathering all the resources and ideas before we make our final decision, but at least now we have a direction and a guide to go by.
Thanks!
Kay